This Isn't Me
by ElectricSnowman
Summary: Crush Bandicoot has a power; a power that Dr. Neo Cortex wishes to obtain. For several years, Crush has been on the run, trying to get out of Cortex's radar. This is not his only problem, however. Crush's problem is his power: a 20 foot tall monster that pleasures in violence and destruction. The worst part? This monster is living inside of him.
1. Deadly Power

_Crush Bandicoot._

The name was given to him not only because he could crush things with ease, but because of the very reason he was created: to destroy.

It was really no surprise, then, why Dr. Neo Cortex had thrown out Crush like he was garbage. He was created only to destroy Crash Bandicoot, but failed to complete that somewhat "simple" task. That was that, and Cortex didn't see any use with Crush anymore.

Oh, how the tables were turned two years later...

* * *

><p>Crush peered out of the alleyway, but didn't see anything. Sighing with relief, he stepped out onto the sidewalk until a sudden <em>CLANG! <em>made his heart stop. Whirling around, he came face-to-face with what he was running from: N. Gin's mech.

Crush gasped, turned around and bolted down the sidewalk. He just barely avoided the missiles being shot at him from the giant mech behind him, but that wasn't what he was worried about. He skidded to a stop when a lamppost plummeted towards the ground, just missing him. That didn't stop him, though, because he hopped over it and continued to run.

"You can't run forever, Crush!" N. Gin's voice yelled from inside of the mech.

Crush knew that he was right. His heart pounded inside his chest, and he felt a familiar wave of pain throughout his whole body. Making his decision, he dove into another alley, hiding behind a giant dumpster. He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down, but gasped when the whole dumpster rose up in the air.

Crush turned around as the giant mech held it, targeting its one victim. Crush tried to take a step back, but only to find a dead end behind him. He shut his eyes, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"End of the line. It's time to finally settle this once and for all." The mech held the dumpster above its head and threw it at Crush with all its strength.

Crush prepared the worst, but blacked out before he could do anything else.

* * *

><p>Several moments later, Crush slowly began to drift out of unconsciousness. He sat up, and his mouth dropped at what he saw.<p>

In front of him was N. Gin's mech, but completely broken to pieces. Every little bit of it was shattered, but there was no sign of N. Gin anywhere.

Crush's heart literally stopped. "No. No no NO NO..." He frantically searched the streets, but sighed with relief when he saw muddy footprints from out of the mech and down the street.

Crush held his head, kicking a piece of metal that was near him. He recognized it as a piece of what used to be his armor.

"What is _wrong_ with me!?" He yelled to no one in particular. He hit himself in the head, but then decided that getting angry wasn't going to help. Pain shot up in his head, but he quickly shook it off and got the heck out of there.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Meanwhile...in a dark and mysterious castle...<em>**

N. Gin frantically burst through the door, slamming it shut and breathing heavily.

"Any progress?" a figure asked him.

"Any progress? Any _PROGRESS?_ My mech is destroyed, I just about KILLED myself to get here, and you didn't happen to mention what the heck I was DEALING WITH!" N. Gin screeched.

The figure only chuckled to himself. "Incredible...isn't it?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"If what you mean by incredible is _deadly_..." N. Gin sighed, sitting on a chair.

"Obviously, we are dealing with more power than I could ever imagine..." The figure came out of the shadows, revealing itself to be Dr. Neo Cortex. "It's definitely a power I wish to obtain."

"Yeah? Well then bring someone _else_ to get it. I'm done; I'm out." N. Gin waved his arms around and left the room.

"Before you leave..." Cortex placed a hand on his chin, turning to N. Gin. "Get me Pinstripe Potoroo."


	2. Monster

Crush wandered around a town. That was the only thing he did these days, anyway. For what seemed like an eternity, he had been running, trying to get Cortex off his trail. Somehow, though, Cortex would always find him and send his minions after him.

However, that wasn't what scared Crush. What scared him was the fact that something was inside of him; something that came out whenever he was enraged or stressed, and something _extremely_ dangerous. He didn't know what it was, and that was what scared him the most.

"One thing for sure, it's why Cortex is after me..." Crush told himself. "He wants it for himself."

All the more reason for Crush to get the heck away from him.

Hours later, Crush leaned against the side of a building, taking a break. He spent a few minutes examining himself, trying to figure out just what was inside of him, but he didn't have a clue.

"You know, for someone who is trying not to be found, you're right in plain sight."

Crush flinched and looked up. Just as he thought, it was definitely another one of Cortex's minions. It was a potoroo wearing a red pinstriped suit and wielding a Tommy gun.

Crush sighed, raising his hands in surrender. He just wasn't safe _anywhere_, was he?

"You have something that Cortex wants, eh?" Pinstripe pointed his gun at Crush.

Crush kept a blank expression. "I don't know. Do I?" he asked, in the most unreadable tone.

"Don't get cocky with me!" Pinstripe shouted, still holding his gun. Underneath his tough and "gangsta" like appearance, though, Crush could tell just how cautious he was.

Crush was too tired to deal with this. "Listen; if Cortex wants me so badly, tell him to get me _himself_," he spat, turning around to walk away.

"HEY! Don't you walk away from me!" Pinstripe stormed over and grabbed Crush by his shoulder.

Crush whirled around and lurched forward so fast, Pinstripe didn't even see Crush's hand move as it grabbed him by the collar. Pinstripe was shoved into the wall, and Crush's eyes faded into a bright neon green.

"Don't...**TOUCH** me."

Pinstripe gagged as he grabbed his collar, desperately trying to breathe. Noticing his lack of oxygen, Crush let go of him, and he dropped to the ground. Even though Crush was pretty ticked off, he didn't want to strangle the poor guy.

"I've warned you. Now _leave_." Crush turned around and walked away.

Despite almost being strangled, Pinstripe knew that he couldn't bring news like this to his boss. Panting, he slowly took out his Tommy gun from the inside of his jacket, pointing it at the oblivious bandicoot.

"Sorry bud, but there's no way I'm suffering any punishment over this," he hissed, pulling the trigger.

The bullet bounced off the armor on Crush's back, leaving a small dent. Crush stopped dead on his tracks. He was being SHOT at, for crying out loud!

Pinstripe still pointed his gun at Crush, watching as he slowly turned around. "There; nice and easy. Now, come with me or suffer the consequences," he spoke in a low voice.

Crush glared at him, anger consuming his features. He could feel the monster at the back of his mind struggling to break free, and to be honest, he wanted to let it out. He wanted to show Pinstripe not to mess with him, but knew it wasn't right. Revenge wasn't the answer.

"Listen here," Crush growled. "I want you to just turn around and walk away. If you're forcing this upon me, you're only going to make the situation worse...trust me. I've warned you enough." He spoke as nicely as he could, but it was hard to when he struggled to fight for control.

"I'm starting to think you're just bluffing. Perhaps Cortex was overreacting about this nonsense; you seem like nothing but a wimp to me. You have strength—fight me!" Pinstripe kept his eye on Crush, still holding his gun.

"That's not the way. Leave, before I—"

Pinstripe pulled the trigger once more, but little did he know he had just opened the cage.

Crush dropped to the ground, not moving.

Pinstripe lowered his gun and stepped up to him, smirking. "What a wimp," he muttered, turning around. Pinstripe gasped, though, when his neck was grabbed. Frantically, he turned around, and in front of him was none other than Crush.

At least, he _thought _it was Crush.

Spikes shot up from Crush's head and shoulders, and his metal armor broke as his body increased in size. His grip tightened around Pinstripe's neck once he grew to his full height—about 20 feet tall. The neon green color completely flooded Crush's eyes, and Pinstripe had never seen such hatred in a look before.

At this moment, Crush's grip was no longer around Pinstripe's neck, but almost his whole body, crushing it. Pinstripe squeaked as he tried to regain his breath, but had no success.

Pinstripe's pain was the creature's pleasure, and he gave a sinister grin, baring his sharp teeth. Something in the back of Crush's mind, though, screamed at him to stop. Well, minus the obvious screams of Pinstripe, anyway.

The creature looked dazed for a moment, slightly confused. He was angry; furious even. What was stopping him from finishing Pinstripe off? The voice in the back of Crush's mind yelled to stop hurting him, and a familiar wave of light passed throughout him, making him dizzy. His anger fading away, the creature soon began to whither into nothing, leaving only Crush Bandicoot, weak and armor-less, unconscious on the ground.

Pinstripe coughed and spluttered, clutching his throat. He frantically crawled away from Crush, grabbing his Tommy gun that was on the ground. He managed to get up and back away.

"Cortex was right about you..." he whispered, catching his breath. "You're a monster." With that, he took off.

_Monster?_ The word echoed throughout Crush's mind. He wasn't a monster...was he?

Crush opened his eyes, watching the frightened potoroo as he ran out of sight. He looked around on the ground, where his broken armor lay, and he picked up the pieces. After all, he had to get rid of the evidence that would lead Cortex straight to him.

"I'm not a monster," he whispered, but he was mostly trying to convince himself, rather then everyone else. Making sure he got rid of the pieces, Crush walked through the rain, stepping into another alleyway. He leaned against the brick wall, covering his face with his hands.

"Why me?" he whispered. "Just...why...?"


	3. Found

Crush wasn't sure what had woken him up the next morning: his nightmare, or the fact that someone was shaking him.

Wait—someone was _shaking_ him?

Instantly, Crush's eyes shot open and he screamed gibberish as he fell backwards onto the ground.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" a voice cried.

Crush shook his head and calmed himself, opening his eyes. In front of him, he saw a female bandicoot who had blonde hair up in a ponytail. She wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans and looked down at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked once more, holding a hand out to help him up. Crush took it and stood up.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he quietly spoke. "Who are you?"

"I'm Coco Bandicoot," she replied, noticing his caution. Respectively, she kept her distance.

"And what do you want from me?" Crush asked, hesitance in his voice. After all, he wasn't entirely sure if she worked for Cortex or not.

Coco looked confused. "N-nothing, I just noticed you all alone in the alley, and I wondered if you were alright..."

"Thank you, but I'm fine." Crush backed away.

"I never knew Cortex created another bandicoot..." Coco muttered.

"Pardon?" Crush instantly looked at her.

"You were created by Dr. Cortex...weren't you?" Coco asked curiously.

"You didn't know that already?" Crush was confused. "Don't you work for him?"

"What!?" Coco nearly shouted. "I don't work for that fat-headed freak!"

Crush was astonished. "Y-you don't?"

"No! In fact, my brother is Crash Bandicoot! You know him?" Coco asked.

Crush felt a deep wave of guilt cover him. Of course he knew Crash; Cortex had created Crush for the very purpose of destroying him.

"Yes." was all Crush replied. He didn't dare mention anything else.

"Good. It's nice to know that not _all_ of Cortex's minions are evil," Coco smiled.

Crush turned away, hiding his frown. To be honest, he didn't even know what side he was on anymore. He tried to be good, but no matter what he could do, his other half would take away any chance of that.

Coco noticed his silence. "What's your name?" she asked.

Crush thought she was nice. He really did, but any info of his was none of her business. He was antisocial for a reason. Still, his guilty pleasure got the best of him. "Crush Bandicoot," he answered, but then quickly regretted it. What if this "Coco" was lying and was one of Cortex's secret spies or something?

Coco gave a friendly smile. "Well, Crush, do you have any place to stay?"

Crush's expression softened. There was something in Coco's smile that told him that she was telling the truth. None of Cortex's minions would ask him that, so he partially began to trust her and replied, "No."

Coco's smile turned into a concerned frown. "That's too bad. Would you like to stay with me? We have plenty of room in the house, and you're more than welcome to stay."

Crush couldn't help but smile. It was rare that someone acted so nice to him like this. "I'd really appreciate that. Thank you," he said quietly.

"It's no problem, really," Coco smiled. "Follow me." She walked away, and Crush began to follow her.

* * *

><p>In as little as 10 minutes later, Coco led Crush to a small house that was set on a bright green field. It was the bright greenness that knocked Crush to his senses and made him realize how dangerous this was. He was about the meet the very person he was created to destroy, not to mention half of himself was practically psychotic when enraged.<p>

Crush was unable to break it to Coco, though. She seemed really nice, and he didn't want to turn down her offer. Besides...where _else_ was he supposed to stay?

"Wait here." Coco stopped at the doorway and walked into the house. She looked around and found Aku Aku.

"It seems we have visitor?" Aku asked before she could even open her mouth.

"Yes," Coco answered, "I found another bandicoot, and he doesn't have any place to stay..."

Aku slowly closed his eyes, feeling the other bandicoot's presence.

From outside of the door, Crush shuddered at the sudden chill that ran down his spine. It wasn't the usual feeling he got when he was on the verge to losing control, but it felt strangely...comforting.

_It's alright, Crush. Do not be alarmed, _a voice echoed inside his head. _My name is Aku Aku, and I will gladly help you with whatever you need._

Crush calmed down at the voice, recognizing it. It was the voice of the mask that always followed Crash Bandicoot around. But why was he being _nice_ to him? Didn't Aku know what he did in the past?

_The past is the past; it is over and does not matter. What only matters is now, and I can see that you have a pure heart,_ the voice answered as if it read his thoughts.

Aku sensed Crush's kindness, but he couldn't help but sense something else. Deep down inside Crush, Aku could feel darkness and sensed evil within him. It wasn't the kind of evil Aku sensed in Dr. Cortex, or even Uka Uka...but a kind that seemed like it was forced upon him.

Aku was confused, never seeing anything like this before. _How could one be both good and evil? _He thought to himself.

"Aku?"

Aku's eyes shot open, and he looked at Coco, who was staring at him. "Bring him inside," he told her, forcing a smile.

Coco nodded her head and walked out the door to Crush. "Come in," she told him.

Crush was slightly nervous, but he slowly stepped inside the house.

"Can he stay here?" Coco asked.

"Of course he can," Aku answered, "We help those who are in need, remember?"

"Thank you; I really appreciate it," Crush thanked quietly.

"It is no problem at all," Aku replied, giving a smile. "Coco, why don't you find a room for Crush? I must speak with him alone for a moment." Coco nodded her head and left the room.

Crush felt uncomfortable. What was Aku going to talk to him about?


	4. A Compelled Conversation

Crush stared at the ground, trying to avoid eye-contact with Aku Aku.

"You're not alone," Aku said in a calm voice. "Crunch Bandicoot was also created for the very purpose of destroying Crash. He was under some sort of mind control."

"I wasn't, though," Crush quietly spoke. "I did it by choice. I wasn't forced to do it...I just wanted to please Cortex." He looked extremely guilty.

"You know the truth, now," Aku told him. "You know that Cortex was only taking advantage of you and using you for his own personal gain. I can sense your kindness, and you have a pure heart."

"Thank you..." Crush slightly smiled, but noticed Aku's suspicious expression. Somehow, he knew what Aku was thinking.

"It seems that you were not only with Dr. Cortex, however...am I correct?" Aku asked, in a serious tone.

Crush froze on the spot. He always refused to speak of what happened after he left Cortex.

"Crush...you can trust me. No one else is here to listen."

Crush took a step back. "N-no. I can't."

"Crush?" Aku wore a serious expression.

Crush shut his eyes. Pressure was placed on him as he was told to speak of the most painful experience he'd ever been through. Even _thinking_ about it was dangerous for him.

"I...I—" Crush began to feel light-headed, which wasn't a good sign.

"You don't have to speak. Just let me see." Aku closed his eyes, looking through all of Crush's memories.

The first thing he saw was Crush wandering around, feeling dejected and angry. Aku saw a figure come out of the shadows, frowning when he recognized it as Dr. Nitrus Brio. Brio spoke with Crush and pretty soon, Crush followed him.

Aku broke out of his concentration when he heard a yelp of pain. He turned around to face Crush, who was against the wall. His hands were covering his face.

"I can't talk about it. About w-what happened with Brio..." he whispered, fear dripping in his voice. "When you saw it...I did too."

"I am deeply sorry," Aku apologized. "I did not know."

He looked at Crush as he lowered his hands from his face and was slightly startled by the fact that his eyes were glowing green. Soon, they faded back to normal and Crush instantly looked up when he heard something.

Aku heard it too, but knew who it was. "Crash Bandicoot has returned."

"I can't do this."

Aku turned around and saw Crush walking out the door. "Crush, you must trust me when I say that you are not evil," he said, in a serious tone. "Crash will understand. You are more than welcome to stay here."

Once Crash Bandicoot came in sight, though, Crush kept his distance.

"Hey, Aku!" Crash greeted.

"Hello, Crash." Aku smiled in return. "Any luck this time?"

Crash's smile turned into a frown. "Nope; Cortex's base is pretty well hidden, but I won't give up."

"I know you won't."

Crush started backing away, but stepped on a stick, which broke.

Crash shot a look around when he heard something snap. He looked straight at Crush, a startled expression on his face. "Aku...what is he doing here?"

"There has been a misunderstanding, Crash," Aku answered. "Crush Bandicoot is no longer working for Cortex. Coco found him, and he needs a place to stay."

"Are you sure?" Crash looked cautious, but trusted Aku.

"He is not evil," Aku answered, a slight smile forming on his face. He glanced at Crush, who looked relieved. "I can sense it."

Crash looked a little relieved himself. "Okay. I trust you, Aku, so I believe what you're telling me is true." He gave Crush a friendly smile and added, "Come on inside."

As Crash and Aku went inside, Crush followed them.

"So, you found out that Cortex is nothing but a fat-headed freak who takes advantage of people?" Crash asked, slightly amused.

Crush smirked. "That and he kicked me out, so I decided to be against him."

"Good thing you are. We can always use a little more help in fighting him," Crash smiled.

Crush forced a smile, but deep down inside, he felt lost. They were treating him as if he was a hero or something, but he wasn't. If they only knew what he _really_ was.

Aku seemed to sense his emotion and gave him a concerned look. Crush noticed his look and avoided eye-contact with him.

Coco came into the room. "I found a room for you, Crush," she said.

"Thank you," Crush replied. "This...really means a lot to me."

"It's certainly no problem at all." Aku smiled.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like," Crash patted him on the back.

Crush was genuinely surprised that Crash was okay with it. It was almost as if he really understood him, somehow.

"It's getting pretty late. Maybe we should head off to bed, now," Coco ruffled Crash's hair. "Maybe tomorrow you can actually take a break."

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea," Crash smiled in return.

"I'll show you the room you can stay in, Crush." Coco led Crush down the hallway and stopped at a door. "Here ya go."

"You really didn't have to do this, Coco..." Crush said quietly. He was very grateful, but didn't feel as if he should stay.

"I wanted to. Besides, you shouldn't just be wandering by yourself all the time," Coco smiled. "You deserve a nice place to stay." She walked away, turning around and saying, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight..." Crush muttered. He went into the room and sat on the bed, thinking about what she had said.

_With the way that I am right now, maybe wandering around _would_be the best thing to do... _he thought to himself, but he shook it off. Besides, maybe a couple nights wouldn't hurt...would it?


	5. Secrets Revealed

Crush jerked up with a start. He took a deep breath, calmed himself down and looked at his clock.

_2:23_.

Crush sighed, rising from the bed. He couldn't sleep, but then again, that was normal for him. He needed to get his mind off his nightmare, which was still fresh in his mind. The sharp claws lashing at him...green eyes piercing into his soul...

Crush shook his head and got out of bed. He headed out of the room, deciding that he needed some air.

Aku Aku, who never slept, of course, was also awake at that time. He grew curious when he noticed that Crush walked out the door, so he followed him.

Crush sat outside of the house, his face buried in his hands.

"May I ask what is bothering you?" Aku spoke in a low voice, not to startle him.

Crush seemed to know that he was already there, not even flinching. "I just...don't know if I should stay here."

They were both silent for a moment until Aku finally decided to speak about what he had seen before. "I sense a darkness within you, Crush Bandicoot. Not a kind I am familiar with," he said, looking at him.

Crush didn't look up. "What happened?" Aku asked him.

"I told you; I can't talk about it..." Crush muttered.

"There is always a time where we can face our fears, Crush. The only question is, when are you ready?" Aku raised an eyebrow.

"You don't understand; I don't think there will ever be a time when I'm ready...I can't talk about it because it's too dangerous for me!" Crush told him.

"Dangerous...?" Aku was deeply confused. Being an ancient mask, he understood almost all there was to good and evil. This was something that made no sense to him, however.

"There is something wrong with me. _Terribly_ wrong, and I don't want to risk anything bad happening while I'm here," Crush tried to explain.

"All secrets have a cost, Crush. Don't be afraid to share your fear with me," Aku spoke seriously. "I can help you, if necessary."

"You CAN'T!" Crush nearly shouted. "NOBODY can! Brio was the one who' injected me with this monster, and now _I'm_ the one who's suffering from his actions!" It was then that Crush realized he had given most of the story away.

Aku's mouth came wide open, and he finally understood the situation. Brio had injected Crush with one of his potions, and that formed the evil inside Crush.

Crush covered his face. "I have to leave. I have to get out of here—"

"Calm down, Crush," Aku calmly spoke. "This darkness within you seems to grow stronger when you panic."

"I've kinda figured that out already!" Crush shouted, like it was obvious. He was shaking.

"Breathe deeply, Crush. Calm down."

Crush obeyed, taking a deep breath and calming down. He finally regained control of himself, but that didn't take away the fear that he still had deep in his mind.

"Do not think that just because you have this darkness in you, it defines who you are," Aku told him. "I understand that it was forced upon you."

"I agreed to go with it," Crush spoke almost inaudibly. "I was selfish...I only thought about my desire to get revenge on Cortex..."

"It was not your fault. You did not know."

Crush wanted to believe him. He really did, but he didn't really know _who_ to believe nowadays.

"I've not known you for very long, but from the time I _have_ known you, I can see that you are kind, generous, and helpful. I appreciate your respect toward Crash and Coco, and myself included," Aku said.

Crush forced a smile, but was still pretty depressed at the moment. "Will you promise not to tell anyone about this?"

"Your secret is safe with me," Aku smiled. "You are welcome to stay as long as you want, but no one is forcing you to stay."

Crush thought about that. He really did appreciate the kindness that had been shown to him.

"It's your choice. Just keep that in mind," Aku smiled, flying out into the darkness.

Crush was about to ask where he was going, but he had already vanished into the shadows. Confused, Crush opened the door and came back into the house, deciding to try to go back to sleep.

"Still up?" a voice startled him.

Crush turned around and blinked when he saw Crash sitting on the couch, watching TV. _Just how long was Crash sitting there? Aku and I weren't talking for very long..._

After staring at Crash for a while, Crush realized that he didn't answer Crash's question. "Couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I." Crash flipped through channels, but decided to forget it and tossed the remote aside, turning to Crush. "So how long have you been by yourself? After you left Cortex, I mean."

Crush hesitated to answer, but knew that Crash was just trying to start a conversation. "Almost two years..." he spoke quietly.

Crash's eyes widened. "That's a really long time," he said.

Crush only nodded his head in response. "Listen...about me being with Cortex and all—" he started.

"Forget about it." Crash waved his hand like it was nothing. "You don't work for Cortex now, and that's all that matters."

"I just want to say how sorry I am," Crush said quietly. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here."

"Apology accepted." Crash gave a smile. "It's no problem."

* * *

><p>After he had finally gone back to bed, Crush managed to sleep through the night without any more nightmares. The next day went on smoothly. Coco and Crash continued to show their hospitality towards Crush, and he and Crash even began to get along and socialize more.<p>

For once, Crush was actually..._happy_. He even managed to forget all about the fact that Cortex was after him. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, however, was yet to be known.


	6. Taking Risks

Three days later, Crush woke up to the sound of Crash and Coco arguing. It was rare since the two siblings always seemed to get along, so Crush knew something was wrong. Curious, he opened the door a crack and peeked at the two bandicoots.

"I'm telling you, Coco, _I don't know how!" _Crash yelled. "We haven't seen the guy in like, two years! Why would he just suddenly come after us!?"

"Well, he's _coming_, and that's all that matters! We have to find some way to stop him!" Coco yelled back.

Crush gasped. Who were they talking about?

Coco seemed to notice him because she turned around and looked at him. Crush slowly opened the door.

"I'm so sorry...we must've woke you up, didn't we?" Coco apologized.

"W-who's coming?" Crush tried to remain calm, but he couldn't help but worry.

Coco looked at Crash, who cringed. "Cortex is after us, now, for some reason. We're trying to figure out some way to stop him," Crash answered quietly.

Crush slowly turned pale.

"Hey, are you okay?" Crash asked, but Crush said nothing.

"Crush?" Coco gave a worried glance at the bandicoot.

Crush didn't reply. He tried all he could to keep calm, but had to let it out. He had to let out all of the anger, frustration, and regret that had built up in his mind. Not giving any reply, he ran out of the room and into his own, slamming the door behind him.

He was here. Cortex was here, and it was all because of _him_.

_It's my fault. I led him here. Because of me, he's attempting once again to destroy Crash Bandicoot. Gosh, why can't I just LEAVE already!?_

Crush needed to let out his anger and punched the window as hard as he could. It shattered to pieces, but he didn't care.

_It's all my fault. Cortex tracked me down and happened to find me staying with Crash. I'm putting everyone's lives at risk, for crying out loud! Because of what Brio's done, I'm nothing but a FREAK that Cortex wants to use for one of his plans..._

Crush slammed his head against the wall, tears flooding his glowing green eyes. He eyed a piece of glass that was on the windowsill and, without even thinking, his hand slowly reached out for it.

"Crush."

Crush instantly jerked around, seeing Crash Bandicoot at the doorway. His eyes faded back to their normal brown and he glanced back at his hand, which was just inches away from the glass.

"It's not your fault," Crash stated, not seeming to notice.

"Yes, it is. If I just left, Cortex would've never found me here..." Crush muttered. He wasn't thinking straight at all today. He didn't even know what he was doing back at the window...

"No...for the past couple of months, I was snooping around, trying to find his base. Possibly, one of his cameras caught me lurking around or something..." Crush could tell that Crash was unsure himself.

"For almost two years, Cortex has been trying to find me," Crush quietly admitted. "Now, I don't know _how_, but he's found me. Maybe it'd just be best if I let him take me...perhaps he'd let you off the hook..."

"Don't talk like that, Crush!" Crash nearly yelled. "You're not going with that...that fathead! You're staying here, with us. Didn't you say so yourself that this was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you?"

Crush didn't answer right away. Because he made sure his conversation with Aku was secret, he never told Crash about his "condition". "There's something about me you don't know," he spoke barely above a whisper.

Crash raised an eyebrow.

"Cortex is not after _me_; he's after what is _inside_ of me..." Crush muttered. "Aku Aku knows, but I made him promise to keep it a secret."

"Keep what a secret?" Crash looked slightly offended.

"After I left Cortex..." Crush took a deep breath. "Brio took me in, but took advantage of me and injected me with one of his potions..."

Crash's mouth came wide open, but Crush continued. "Whenever I'm enraged or stressed out, I'm not me anymore, but this...monster. That's why ever since I've been staying here, I've been extremely cautious," he finished.

Crash opened and closed his mouth a couple times, contemplating on what to say.

"If you knew what I really was, you wouldn't want to be around me," Crush said, seriously. "Now that Cortex has found me, I'm just putting you all at risk. It'd be best if I just left..." He turned around.

"Don't." Crash put his hand on Crush's shoulder. "I've dealt with Cortex for over ten years; I think I can handle this. Running away won't solve anything."

"You'll probably regret having me stay." Crush sounded serious.

Crash was silent for a moment, but replied, "I'm willing to take the risk. I've been in many dangerous situations before."

Crush wanted to believe Crash, but he had heard it all before. Literally _everyone_ that he met had underestimated him. Before he could say anything else, Coco ran into the room.

"Cortex is here." She looked alert, like he was going to bust in at any moment. "My laptop tracked him, and he's heading this way."

"Alright. We better get ready." Crash was about to follow Coco out of the room, but glanced at Crush.

"Just go; it'd be best if I stayed behind," Crush told him, staring at the ground.

Crash looked unsure, but slowly nodded his head. "Be careful," he said, heading out the door. He found Coco looking at her laptop, rather shocked.

"How close is he?" Crash asked her.

"T-the signal cut off! I don't know!" Coco panicked, frantically typing on the keyboard. "I think he knows we're expecting him!"

"Then I guess we just have to surprise him," Crash answered, opening the front door.

The signal returned. "Wait—CRASH—"

_**WHAM!**_

As soon as Crash stepped foot outside, a giant robotic hand clamped around him. "WHAT THE—?" He looked up, seeing none other than the Mecha Bandicoot that he had encountered years ago. However, Cortex was the one controlling it instead of N. Gin.

"Really, Cortex? This old piece of junk again?" Crash chuckled.

"Little do you know, I _modified_ this "piece of junk"! Now, get out of my way. I'm not after you, for once," Cortex spat. He tossed Crash aside like he was nothing, who crashed into a bush.

The Mecha Bandicoot held his hand in front of the house, turning into a rocket launcher. "Now, Coco, be a dear and tell me where Crush Bandicoot is," Cortex said sweetly.

Coco backed away. "He's not here," she answered sheepishly.

Cortex's smile turned into a scowl. "My tracker specifically located Crush Bandicoot _here_. Now WHERE IS HE!?" he shouted.

"She'll never tell!" Crash yelled, rising out of the bush he was thrown in. "And I won't, either!"

Cortex glanced at him, but then the Mecha Bandicoot grabbed Coco. Its other hand, that was a rocket launcher, was in front of her. "So you won't tell, even if your sister's life happens to be on the line?"

"CRASH!" Coco screeched.

Crash's eyes widened. He hesitated to speak and tried to come up with something.

"I'm right here, Cortex!"

Everyone turned towards the front of the house, and there stood Crush.


	7. The Real Threat

"What are you doing!?" Crash yelled. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!?"

"My, my...what a surprise!" Cortex smirked. "If it isn't Crush Bandicoot. Long time no see, huh?"

Crush ignored his statement. "Let go of her, Cortex! It's me you want, isn't it!?"

"Very well." Cortex dropped Coco, who fell towards the ground screaming. Crash caught her before she hit the ground.

"The last thing I expected was for you to pretend to be a _hero_, Crush," Cortex laughed.

"I'm not pretending to be anything," Crush answered bitterly.

"Good. It won't do you any good to try and be something you're not," Cortex shrugged. "But enough chit-chat. You're coming back with me once and for all."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Crush hissed.

"Yes, Crush. Be angry. You still have yet to show these "heroes" what they're truly up against," Cortex grinned evilly.

"What is he talking about?" Coco asked, but Crash kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not afraid of you, Cortex," Crush growled.

"Of course not, Crush. I've never been the one you were afraid of, have I?" Cortex taunted.

Crush didn't answer and shut his eyes, trying to get him out of his head.

"Leave him alone, Cortex!" Crash shouted. "He's not going anywhere. Not if _I _have anything to say about it!"

"This doesn't have anything to do with you, you infernal bandicoot!" Cortex yelled. The Mecha Bandicoot pointed its hand at Crash, and it prepared a plasma blast. "You know another modification I made? You can't spin away these silly plasma blasts anymore!" He laughed.

Crash backed away, knowing that they wouldn't be easy to avoid.

After the plasma blast fully charged, it fired itself straight towards Crash. Before it could hit him, Crush instantly took action and bolted towards Crash. Standing in the way of the blast, it hit _Crush_, instead.

"CRUSH!" Coco screamed.

Crash's mouth fell wide open as Crush fell to the ground, unconscious. "Crush!" Crash shook him, but he didn't move.

"I'd back away if I were you, Crash." Cortex wore an evil grin.

Crash looked up at him, angrily. "What did you do to him!?"

"Me?" Cortex raised an eyebrow. "I just grazed him. He can't get severely hurt, silly. In fact, he should be up in about 3...2...1—"

Crush gasped loudly. "Crush! Are you okay!?" Crash asked.

Crush didn't seem to hear his question. "Get away," he whispered.

"What?"

"GET AWAY!" Crush shouted, raising his head.

Crash literally jumped back when seeing that his eyes were glowing green. He backed up, knowing what was about to happen. "Coco, get inside the house."

"But what about—?"

"Just get in there!" Crash told her. Coco did what she was told. Crash returned his glance at Crush. "Crush, try to calm down—"

Spikes already shot up from Crush's head and shoulders. "Run," Crush choked out. "Get as far away from me as you can!"

Crash hesitated. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, and he didn't know what to do. For the first time ever, he was actually _scared_.

"Listen to me; you have to get out of here!" Crush's voice broke Crash's train of thought. "Just run! Don't let Cortex find you!"

Crash didn't answer, but knew he had to make his decision quickly after seeing Crush grow to his full height. Crash had never seen anything like this in his life.

Crush turned around and growled, eying Crash, who froze on the spot. Before Crush could attack, Cortex's evil laughter stopped him.

"Finally; I can meet the monster that Crush was always afraid of."

Crush faced Cortex, hatred in his eyes. In a flash, Crush lashed out at the Mecha Bandicoot, nearly missing when it dodged him.

"Nice try!" Cortex grinned as the Mecha Bandicoot punched Crush in the face, making him crash to the ground. That didn't stop Crush, though. He growled, ripping a tree out of the ground and whacking the Mecha Bandicoot.

Crash watched the fight, rubbing his eyes to make sure what he saw was real. Everything was just happening so fast, and it took a while for his mind to register it.

"It's time to end this once and for all!" The Mecha Bandicoot's arm turned into a chainsaw, and it chopped the tree to pieces. Crush took a shard of wood from the tree and stabbed the Mecha Bandicoot.

The Mecha Bandicoot aimed its chainsaw toward Crush, but Crush grabbed its arm and twisted it, turning it back at Cortex. Cortex shrieked, frantically pushing buttons. Soon, the chainsaw transformed into the rocket launcher and shot at Crush.

Crash jumped out of the way as Crush was thrown to the ground from the blast. Crush's eyes slowly opened, but then he turned his attention to Crash and shot him a deadly glare. Crash began to back up, knowing that Crush was angry at him.

Crush growled, gritting his teeth. He stood up and picked up a large part of the tree.

Cortex instantly perked up when he lifted it above his head, and threw it toward Crash. Crash gasped and tried to move, but it hit him in the chest and knocked him to the ground.

"HA HA HA!" Cortex laughed triumphantly. "Thank you, Crush! It feels nice to get rid of that distraction!"

Crush didn't seem to hear him, and stared at Crash, who was holding his chest in pain. A light gash was seen on it, and it was bleeding, slightly.

_Crash..._ Crush shook his head irritably. _Crash...what have I done...?_ He turned to face Cortex, who gave a smug look.

"Now, Crush; where were we?" The Mecha Bandicoot held up its rocket launcher.

**"YOU—" **Crush launched himself at the Mecha Bandicoot, punching it with his fists.

Cortex was shocked at his sudden outburst and tried to fight back, but Crush grabbed its arm and ripped it right out of its socket. He didn't end there and proceeded to beat the Mecha Bandicoot with the arm.

Cortex began to panic when the glass that kept him inside began to break. He quickly pressed a big red button, and a ship flew out of the Mecha Bandicoot with him inside. Cortex escaped easily, leaving Crush when the dismantled robot.

Crush clenched his fists and glared at Cortex, but it was then that he remembered about Crash. Crush faced Crash, who was still on the ground. More than anything, Crush wanted to say how sorry he was, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He covered his eyes, shaking his head.

Crash watched as Crush slowly turned back to normal, falling to the ground. Hesitantly, Crash stepped over to him. "C-Crush...?" Crash slowly reached out and touched Crush's shoulder.

Crush jerked away, startling him. He shot a look at Crash, his eyes still green. "I told you to run," he hissed.

"I—just—" Crash was speechless.

"Why were you just _standing _there!?" Crush shouted. "What were you thinking!?"

"I just—wanted to help—" Crash choked on his words.

"I COULD'VE KILLED YOU!" Crush screamed, pointing at the gash on Crash's chest. Crash flinched at his outburst.

Crush shut his eyes. "I told you. I told you what I was capable of. I told you that it wasn't safe for me to be here. I told you to get _away_ from me. I told you to _RUN_..." A tear came in his eye. "I'm a monster."

"No; you're not!" Crash told him.

"How?" Crush spat.

Crash didn't answer right away.

"HOW!?" Crush slammed Crash against the side of the house. Crash tried to say something, but he couldn't.

It was then that Crush realized this was only proving his own point. He quickly let go of Crash, backing away. "I'm sorry." He started walking away.

"Crush—wait!" Crash followed him.

Crush snapped his head towards him. "Don't you understand!?" he shouted. "I can't control myself! I can't stay here any longer."

"We can fix this," Crash said softly.

"How?"

"I don't know. Somehow, we can do something..." Crash trailed off.

Crush knew it was only an excuse to make him stay, but he didn't fall for it. "No, Crash. I'm not taking risks anymore. I have to leave." He turned back around, walking away.

"Crush—" Crash started, but Crush ignored him. Crash slowly hung his head. "I'm sorry." He turned to walk back to his house.


	8. A Surprising Discovery

Several weeks later, Crush found himself right back where he started. He wandered around random towns day after day, just hoping that Cortex wouldn't find him again.

"Why did you have to ruin your chance in staying with Crash?" Crush yelled at himself. "He's probably just as scared of you as everyone else now." He didn't even think about the fact that it was _Cortex_ who ruined his chance, not himself.

"Why do I even exist?" Crush slid down the side of a building, covering his face. He thought about what he had almost done back at Crash's house. "Would it even help? If I were to not be here tomorrow...would anyone even notice? Would anyone _care?"_

Crush's mouth came wide open at his own words. It was almost as if he was talking to another person.

"What am I even _saying!?" _he yelled at himself. He hit himself in the head repeatedly. "Thinking about _that_ won't help me calm down!" He got up and continued walking around to get his mind off his earlier thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Meanwhile, back at Cortex's lair...<em>**

A dark figure appeared in Cortex's office. "You wanted to see me?"

Cortex turned around in his chair to face the figure. "Crash Bandicoot has run off, and we still need to figure out where he has run off to. Only one person knows, so I need you to have a little..."chat" with him."

"What if he refuses to tell?"

"You know what to do." Cortex smirked.

"Understood." The dark figure left the room, shutting the door.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Back to Crush and wherever the heck he's at...<em>**

"Crash was practically the only person who didn't seem that afraid of me. He didn't run away once I told him to; he wanted to..._help _me." Crush began to have second thoughts and even felt like _returning _to Crash. He knew he couldn't risk it, so he continued walking to who-knows-where.

"Well, well. Look who we have here," a voice broke Crush's train of thought.

Crush groaned, recognizing the tone. It was probably another one of Cortex's minions. Crush turned around and, out of the shadows, there came a mutant that was half-dingo, half-crocodile.

"Let me guess; you work for Cortex?" Crush asked, annoyed.

"I'm one of his most intelligent mutants, as a matter of fact. Name's Dingodile," the mutant replied in an Australian accent, a smirk on his face. "I believe you know some information that'd be helpful for Cortex."

Crush looked at him blankly and gestured for him to continue.

Dingodile rolled his eyes. "The location of Crash Bandicoot!" he snapped.

Crush's eyes widened. It looked like Crash followed his orders after all. But who knows where he went? "I don't know..." Crush answered.

Dingodile's expression turned into a scowl. "Of _course_ you do; you stayed with him, didn't you?"

"Maybe I did, but not anymore. We split weeks ago," Crush muttered, turning around to walk away.

Suddenly, he felt something hit his back, the impact making him slam into the wall. He turned around and Dingodile had him pinned against the wall. Dingodile was holding a—_fireball?_

"I don't care whether or not you split up. You're helping me find him; whether you like it or not!" he spat.

"Over my dead body!" Crush yelled, pushing him away.

"So be it." Dingodile's eyes suddenly flashed bright yellow.

Crush watched in astonishment as Dingodile's body was suddenly covered in flames. When they vanished, he had turned into some sort of firebird. **(From my story _Birth of a Firebird)_**

Crush blinked. Who knew he wasn't the only one who had an alter-ego?

"Little did you know, Cortex made some late "modifications" to me," Dingodile smirked. "Now, give me Crash Bandicoot's location and no one gets hurt."

Crush began to back away, not wanting to get into any violence. "I told you—I don't know!" he yelled.

"That's too bad...you did seem like a charming fellow," Dingodile growled, throwing a fireball at him. Crushdropped to the ground, and Dingodile continued to throw fire at him. "WHERE IS HE!?" he shouted.

Crush was in too much pain to answer. "I seriously don't know!" His vision became blurred, and everything became green. "Just please...stop!"

The burning sensation vanished, but the pain didn't leave Crush. _Not again_... he thought, knowing what was to come.

"I'll believe you, but don't think I'm going to let you off the hook so easily. You're helping me track him down!" Dingodile growled. He was startled when a sudden hand grabbed his neck, though.

Dingodile held his neck, fading back to his normal self. He stared at Crush, who was glaring at him. "Find someone ELSE to do your dirty work," Crush spat, throwing him to the ground. He felt the creature inside of him clawing his way out, and this time he _let_ it out.

Dingodile scrambled to his feet when spikes shot up from Crush's head and shoulders realizing that he wasn't the only one with an alter ego as well. "Holy crap...Cortex wasn't joking around..." he whispered in shock. "Listen, I didn't mean to do what I did! Honest!" Dingodile squeaked, backing away. "Cortex forced me here! He didn't tell me that he—"

"_He_ didn't do this," Crush interrupted. "_Brio_ did. Flame me ONE MORE TIME...and I'll snap you in HALF!"

Dingodile wanted to stay in one piece, so he did the only thing he thought of doing. "CORTEX!" he shrieked, shifting to his firebird form as he flew away.

Crush wasn't going to let him off the hook, however, and chased after him.

"_Did you find the location of Crash Bandicoot yet!?"_ Cortex's voice came from Dingodile's walkie-talkie.

"Uh—" Dingodile frantically looked behind himself, seeing that the creature was getting closer to him. "That's the least of my worries right now!" he shouted.

Crush growled. He reached out and grabbed Dingodile, chucking him at the side of a building. Dingodile crashed in through the window, but that didn't stop him from frantically flying away despite his damaged wing.

Crush clenched his fists, calming down. Slowly, he turned back to normal and looked at himself. He seemed to notice that whenever he chose to initiate the creature, turning back to normal wasn't a problem. He smirked as he walked away.


	9. Deann

Crush wandered around, but he suddenly heard a scream. He whirled around and saw a girl on the other side of the road being chased by a thug.

At first, he thought it would be best to just back off, but he obviously thought otherwise because it wasn't long before he took off. He bolted towards the action, grabbing the thug by the neck.

"Leave her alone," he spoke in a deadly voice.

The thug attempted to shoot at him, but it only bounced off the armor he was wearing.

"If you value your life, you won't mess with me." Crush's eyes glowed green, and the thug sprinted away in terror.

Crush smirked and turned to the girl, who just stood there in shock. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

The girl was speechless. When she finally found the right words, she sputtered, "Y-yes...thank you..."

"It was no problem," Crush gave a small smile.

The girl slowly took off her helmet. She was a dingo, who had long brown hair with blue highlights. Crush's eyes slightly widened at her beauty, but tried to keep it inconspicuous.

"I...I really appreciate it. I didn't think anyone would actually help." She smiled shyly. "I-I'm Deann, by the way."

"Crush," Crush replied, but he instantly regretted it. After all, he didn't know who to trust these days...

"Well, thank you very much, Crush..." Deann bent down and took her skateboard, which she had dropped. "I better be going, now."

"Yeah...same here," Crush muttered, but at the same time, he didn't want her to leave for some reason...

"Thanks again," Deann smiled, heading off on her skateboard.

Crush waved, but noticed something on the ground. He looked down and noticed a blue barrette. _It must've fallen out her hair while she was running..._

"Hey, wait!" Crush called, but she was already gone. At first, Crush shrugged it off, but soon he was following her without even realizing it. Besides, he was just bringing something back to her...he wasn't in love with her or anything...right?

Crush rolled his eyes. Of course he didn't have a crush on her. Besides...with his "condition", it'd be too dangerous to be in a relationship in the _first_ place. Crush face-palmed himself. Why the heck was he thinking about _relationships_ at a time like this? He _just_ got away from Cortex, and his main priority was to get the heck out of Cortex's radar.

Anyway, after finally figuring out where Deann lived when seeing her go inside her house, he waited a few seconds before he came up the steps. He hesitated, but knocked on the door.

It wasn't too long before the door opened. Deann looked outside and was surprised. "Crush! I...um..."

"You dropped this," Crush decided to just get this over with, handing her the barrette. He stared at the ground, avoiding eye-contact with her. She was just so _beautiful_...

"Oh!" Deann took it. "I didn't even know I dropped it...thank you!" She smiled. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh, no...I shouldn't..." Crush forced a smile, but he really had to leave.

"No, I insist! You saved me from that thug; the least I could give you is my hospitality!" Deann told him. "Please?"

Crush was about to refuse, but he looked up at her. Her sparkling blue eyes...long flowing brown hair...

"Okay." He was shocked at the word that just left his mouth, but knew he couldn't back down now.

Deann looked excited and held the door open so Crush could come inside. Once Crush did so, she shut the door and said, "Wait here; I want you to meet my brother."

"Okay." Once again, Crush mentally slapped himself. He had to leave, but his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground.

"...This is the guy I was telling you about," he heard Deann's voice. Pretty soon, she came into the room with her brother. Wait...

WHOA—HOLD THE PHONE.

Standing beside Deann was none other than the half-dingo half-crocodile mutant Crush had just encountered. _Dingodile_, his name was.

Dingodile was equally as astonished as Crush was. "_YOU_..." they both scowled, glaring at each other.

Deann looked confused. "Have you two...met before...?" she asked.

"Deann, stay back. He's dangerous." Dingodile protectively stepped in front of his sister.

"_You _were the one who went all "firebird" on me!" Crush nearly shouted.

"...Dangerous...?" Deann didn't have a single clue what was going on.

"I was given orders. I've heard from everyone else who and _what_ you are," Dingodile spat.

"So you don't even pay attention to the fact that I saved your sister from that thug?" Crush asked, offended.

"Deann is a fighter. She could've taken him; no doubt about it," Dingodile replied, like it was nothing.

"Dingodile—" Deann started, but he interrupted.

"I think it'd be wise for you to just turn around and leave, before I actually _do_ tell Cortex about your whereabouts," Dingodile warned Crush in a serious tone.

Crush was about to retort, but stopped himself. "Wait...you mean...you weren't going to tell him in the _first _place?"

"Leave before I change my mind!" Dingodile nearly shouted, his eyes glowing yellow.

Crush didn't need to be told twice. He headed out the door, but then turned around one last time to look at Deann. "It was nice to see you again, Deann." He left, shutting the door behind him.

Deann was standing there, her mouth wide open in shock. "What the heck was THAT!?" she shouted at Dingodile. "You practically shoved him out the door!"

"It's best if you stay away from him, Deann," Dingodile answered, turning around. "I've gotta go. I'll see you later."

Once he left, Deann couldn't stop thinking about what had happened back there. One thing for sure, she definitely had to apologize to Crush for Dingodile's behavior.


	10. Manipulated

**Chapter 10: Manipulated**

"I would expect this from N. Gin. Pinstripe, even. But you?" Cortex shot up his chair, glaring at Dingodile. "I gave you power...and THIS is how you repay me!?"

"He got away before I could get to him. It's my fault, really." Dingodile lied, raising his hands in surrender.

Cortex sat back down in his chair and sighed, putting a hand up to his head. "One more chance, Dingodile. I'm giving you _one more chance_, and I'm NOT the merciful type. Bring him to me, or so help me, I never want to see your face here again. Got it?"

Dingodile kept silent for a moment and finally nodded his head. "Got it."

"Then what are you still doing here? GO!" Cortex shouted, pointing towards the door.

Dingodile left rather quickly, but stopped after he shut the door. Pulling out a phone, he dialed a number and put it next to his ear.

"_Finally interested?"_ a female voice spoke on the other end, amused.

"Shut it; this has nothing to do with a date!" Dingodile snapped.

"_Just wondering,"_ the voice chuckled. _"Whaddaya want, flame boy?"_

"I need you to bring someone to me," Dingodile spoke quietly.

"_Who?"_

"Meet me over at Cortex's place, and I'll explain everything," Dingodile answered.

"_I dunno...what's in it for me?"_ the voice asked.

"I'll pay you the usual."

"_Deal."_

* * *

><p>The next day, Crush couldn't help but think about what had happened the day before.<p>

Dingodile...turned into a _firebird._

Crush couldn't help but think of what they had in common. It was almost as if their alter-egos had a _connection_, somehow—

Crush froze right on the spot. Of _course_ they had a connection. This was the reason he hadn't heard or seen anything from Cortex for weeks; because Cortex was trying to _duplicate_ the power that he had. There was something Dingodile had told him, however, that caught his attention.

"_Leave before I actually DO tell Cortex about your whereabouts."_

Crush couldn't help but sense something in his tone. It was almost as if Dingodile _didn't_ want to turn him in. But why? Why would one of Cortex's minions let him off the hook, let alone show _sympathy _to him? Crush walked around, trying to figure out what it was that Dingodile was up to. Why would he take the risk of _not_ bringing him to Cortex?

While Crush was thinking, he happened to notice someone in the corner of his eye. He turned his head, but the figure vanished into an alley. "Not again..." Crush muttered. He backed up, bolting down the sidewalk. "Is _one _peaceful day too much to ask for!?"

For about two minutes, Crush did nothing but run. He turned every now and then so he'd be hard to lose. When he assumed that he was safe, he hid behind a building, catching his breath.

"Whoever that was, they ain't catching me today," he growled.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Crush screamed, jumping forward. He turned around and behind him was a mutant who was half-cat, half-fox. She was very skinny and had brown wavy hair up in a ponytail. She wore a red tank-top along with a jean skirt.

"You must be Crush Bandicoot. Is that correct?" The girl smiled sweetly which, for Crush, was unsettling.

Crush took a step back. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing. Just to a friend of mine." She examined her fingernails.

Assuming it was Cortex, Crush turned around. "I don't have time for this."

The girl ran out in front of him. "Hey, maybe it _is_ something to me. Ever think of that?" She smiled, winking at him.

Crush looked slightly disturbed, walking around her.

"Name's Scarlett." She walked alongside him.

"Well Scarlett, as nice as you may seem, I know why you're _really_ here. Just turn around and leave before you test my patience," Crush muttered.

"I won't hurt you, sweetheart. Those weren't my orders," Scarlett grinned.

"Well, whatever your orders are, you can take them back to Cortex and tell him I'm not in the mood," Crush growled.

"Cortex didn't send me."

That made Crush stop abruptly. "He didn't?"

"Nope. Surprised?" Scarlett looked at him.

"Well—who _did_ send you, then!?" Crush was absolutely terrified. Who _else_ was after him?

Scarlett shrugged. "Maybe I'll tell and maybe I won't."

Crush glared at her. "Who sent you?" he asked as nicely as he could.

"You know, Crush...you seem like a very nice guy." Scarlett put a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me; do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, why the heck would you—" Crush cut himself off, realizing that she was _flirting_ with him.

"That's a shame. A guy like you, all on your own..." Scarlett put her other hand on his other shoulder. "It angers me how someone like you is alone, with no one to talk to...no one to socialize with..."

Crush froze, seeming hypnotized by her soft, quiet, voice.

"Tell me, Crush..." she spoke barely above a whisper. "How does that make you feel?"

"It makes me...feel..." Crush paused for a moment. "...Dejected..."

Scarlett leaned closer to him. "Of course it does..."

Crush unintentionally leaned closer as well. Their lips were just inches away, but then a sudden wave of realization passed over Crush. "YOU—" He roughly shoved Scarlett off him. Scarlett fell back as Crush towered above her, giving her a deadly glare. "Cortex _did_ send you here, didn't he!?" he shouted.

"What? No—I—" Scarlett stuttered.

"He sent you here to seduce me into following you; is THAT it!?" Crush yelled. His eyes glowed green, and he could feel his anger rising.

"N-no! No!" Scarlett squeaked.

**"LIAR!" **Crush's anger consumed him, and the creature inside of him began to break free. _Nobody_ toyed with his emotions and got away with it.

"This wasn't in the job description—THIS WASN'T IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION!" Scarlett shrieked, sprinting down the sidewalk as the now 20 foot tall behemoth chased after her.


	11. Friend or Enemy?

While Scarlett ran, she found an alley and dove into it. Keeping as quiet as she could, she waited for Crush to pass by before she took out her cell phone.

"Psst! Dingodile!" she hissed.

"_What?"_ came his reply.

"You failed to mention one itsy bitsy little detail..." Scarlett began sweetly.

"_And that is...?"_

"I'M DEALING WITH THE INCREDIBLE HULK, HERE!"

"_Scarlett! I told you; he's a bit...unstable..."_ Dingodile sounded irritated.

"YOU DIDN'T MENTION _THIS!" _Scarlett shouted. "I'm hiding in an alley right now, and you better hope he doesn't find me, or we're going to have a SERIOUS problem!"

"_Just stay put."_ Dingodile sounded exasperated. _"__I'm on my way."_

As soon as Scarlett put down her phone, she turned around, only to see Crush staring right at her.

"Oh. I probably should've kept my voice down...shouldn't I?" she muttered.

* * *

><p>Dingodile knew he was in the right place as soon as he heard an ear piercing scream. "That's Scarlett, all right..." Instantly, he shifted to his firebird form and searched around for her.<p>

"DINGODILE!"

"Wha—?" Dingodile turned around, only to see Scarlett knock right into him. Frantically, she hid behind him, and it wasn't too long before Crush showed up.

As soon as Crush saw Dingodile, he scowled, storming over to him and raising his fist.

"Hold it—stop!" Dingodile shouted, raising his hands in surrender. Confused, the creature stopped where he was. "I'm not here to turn you in to Cortex," Dingodile spoke calmly. "Neither is Scarlett."

Crush frowned, clenching his fists. In a flash, he grabbed Dingodile by his neck and held him up to him.

"I'm telling you the truth!" Dingodile choked out. "You were right—I was never actually going to tell Cortex about your whereabouts!"

Crush gave him a suspicious look, but let go of him. Slowly, Crush turned back to normal and calmed himself down. "What do you want from me?"

"I'm just trying to help you," Dingodile answered. "I was the one who sent Scarlett to find you."

Crush glanced at Scarlett, who slowly came out from behind Dingodile.

"Funny; she's not one to be easily intimidated," Dingodile smirked.

"You...are _definitely_ paying me extra for this," Scarlett spat.

"Why do you want to help me?" Crush asked Dingodile. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"Because I know how you feel."

Crush rolled his eyes, looking unconvinced. "How could you _possibly_ know how I feel?"

"When I first found out about that power Cortex gave me, I was angry. I felt like some sort of abomination that he was only taking advantage of..." Dingodile frowned. "So when I found you, I thought that you pretty much felt the same way. So, why would I bring you to Cortex?"

Crush nodded in understanding, thinking about that.

"I admit, I may have been pretty harsh on you before, but only because I was dead set on following Cortex's orders," Dingodile admitted. "I do appreciate that you saved my sister."

Crush looked at him blankly, but then his eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about Deann. The one moment she was off his mind, she was now right back in there...

"Wait, so let me get this straight...Cortex gave you two the same exact powers?" Scarlett pointed at Crush and Dingodile.

"Brio injected Crush with a potion. Cortex is only trying to duplicate it, and that's what he gave me," Dingodile explained.

Scarlett turned to Crush. "No offense, but NEVER trust Brio! He's only a madman who's obsessed with getting revenge on

Cortex! I know because I was _created_ by that jerk."

"That would explain the manipulative attitude..." Crush muttered.

"Hey! You got a problem with my attitude!?" Scarlett yelled, but when Crush looked at her, she backed off.

"Just get out of here," Dingodile sounded annoyed. "I'll pay you next time I see you."

"You _better_." Scarlett pointed a finger at him, backing away. "It was nice to, well...meet you..." She forced a smile when facing Crush, but then took off like her life depended on it.

"Idiot. That brat can't do_anything_ right, can she?" Dingodile cursed once she was gone.

Crush remained silent. He still wasn't sure whether to trust Dingodile or not. "Why?" he quietly asked.

"Scarlett was created mainly for seduction..." Dingodile waved his arm like it was nothing.

"No, I mean...why would you _help_ me? Isn't Cortex watching you or something?" Crush asked, slightly suspicious.

"He _was_. I cut off his tracking device after I called Scarlett," Dingodile replied, holding up his arms to prove nothing was on him.

"Well, how do you expect to "help" me?" Crush asked skeptically.

"I'm going to get you somewhere safe; somewhere that Cortex can't find you."

"How do you know he can't just find me where I am right now?" Crush raised an eyebrow.

"He sent _me_ to find you. I'm supposed to tell him when I've found you, but I made sure that I cut off all connections between me and him," Dingodile replied, a slight smirk on his face. "You can trust me."

Crush took a step back. Trusting someone—especially one who used to be Cortex's minion—wasn't going to be easy for him. "Where are you taking me?"

Dingodile glanced back, making sure no one was around. "Deann's place. Cortex doesn't know where it's at, so you should be safe there."

Crush mentally cursed. Why bring _Deann _into this?

"The thing is, however, it'll take a while to get there since you've wandered all the way out here," Dingodile added, gesturing to wherever "here" was.

Crush had trust issues. Normally, he made the mistake of trusting the wrong people and regretting it, but it looked like he didn't have a choice in the matter. Besides, he didn't want Cortex to find him again, did he?


	12. Trust Issues

For several minutes, Crush kept silent. He was never good at starting any conversations, let alone with one of Cortex's former minions.

"I apologize for my behavior before," Dingodile finally spoke up.

Crush looked up and turned to him. "It's fine."

"I'm just...overprotective of Deann, is all..." Dingodile added softly.

"I understand." Crush sounded like he just wanted to end the conversation. His trust issues were beginning to flood his mind, and a bunch of thoughts repeated in his head.

_What if he's only pretending to take you somewhere safe, when he's really taking you to Cortex?_

_You have to get out of there before something bad happens!_

_DESTROY HIM!_

Crush cringed, feeling the familiar banging against his head. He scratched out that last thought because it was only the creature inside of him struggling to break free. Crush ignored the pain and continued walking.

"You must've beaten up Cortex pretty badly. Heck, he was a bit hysterical when he sent me to find you," Dingodile smirked.

Crush couldn't help but give a slight smirk as well. He had sure loved that moment, beating the crap out of the Mecha Bandicoot. His thoughts began to trail off, though, and focused on when he had thrown part of the tree at Crash...

Hissing in pain, Crush brought his hand up to his head.

Dingodile stopped. "Are you alright?"

"I'm...fine," Crush muttered. "I'm fine." _How about we just drop the conversation, 'kay?_

Dingodile almost seemed to read his thoughts because he was completely silent after that. As they both continued walking, he couldn't help but glance around every few seconds as if he was trying to recognize where they were.

Crush curiously looked at him. "We're not lost, are we?"

Dingodile didn't answer right away, having a rather upset look on his face. "No—wait—we _are_ going the right way, aren't we...?"

Crush face-palmed himself. "We're lost." He was already stuck with someone he didn't want to be with, and now, to make matters even better, they were_lost_. Just his luck.

"Okay, I admit; we're lost. But we can figure something out..." Dingodile started.

"_We?"_ Crush asked.

Dingodile looked at him. "Well, yeah! I'm trying to help you out here, so you can at least return the favor!"

Crush glared at him.

"You've been roaming around here a lot, so just tell me when you recognize where you are or something," Dingodile clarified.

"I'm not dumb. I understand what you mean," Crush muttered.

Dingodile hit himself, knowing that Crush still didn't trust him. He didn't blame him, but he kept his smart aleck comments to himself. "Listen, let me repeat what I had said before: I'm trying to _help_ you."

Crush just about snapped. "As you can see, I'm pretty messed up at the moment! I have a _monster _living inside of me, I'm constantly being hunted down, I almost _killed_ my only friend, and now a minion of my mortal enemy is claiming he can help me!"

Dingodile took a step back, startled by Crush's glowing green eyes. He shouldn't have acted like he knew Crush personally, because he didn't. He had no clue of what happened in the bandicoot's past, nor did he ever take the time to think about it.

"I'm sorry," Dingodile spoke honestly. "I didn't know."

Crush managed to calm down, his eyes shifting back to their normal brown. He had a look of regret in his face. "No, I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I just...don't know what's up with me anymore."

"It's fine; I'm used to being yelled at. Most of the time I deserve it, anyway..." Dingodile admitted, actually making Crush feel a little pity for him. Not knowing what to reply, Crush kept silent.

* * *

><p>Moments later, nighttime was approaching and it began to get darker. At that time, Crush was following behind Dingodile cautiously. He never liked nighttime. Shadows lurched around, and he was easier to get caught...<p>

"Wait here. I have a feeling I know where we are, but I'm just going for a quick look around the area," Dingodile spoke up, startling him. Crush nodded his head in acknowledgment, and Dingodile shifted to his firebird form, flying off.

So there Crush was, left alone. He was used to being alone, of course. Heck, he had been alone for almost two years, for crying out loud. So why did he suddenly feel uncomfortable?

Crush swore he was seeing things. Even the slightest sounds made him flinch, and he could hear a voice in the wind whisper his name. Crush tried to see, but it was almost impossible with the mist covering every part of the area.

It was then that he heard his name being called out once more. It sounded clearer, and a gust of wind sent chills up his spine. He didn't like this empty feeling inside of him and actually hoped that Dingodile would return soon.

"...H-hello?" Crush quietly asked, but then he mentally slapped himself. _What are you doing? You're braver than this! _A flicker of light from the lamppost next to him startled him, but what he saw out of the corner of his eye scared him even more.

Someone was there, but it wasn't Dingodile.

Crush fully faced the lamppost, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light. A dark figure stumbled out of the shadows, and his heart just about stopped.

He was staring at Crash Bandicoot.


	13. A Nightmarish Realm

**Warning: This chapter is pretty...intense.**

* * *

><p>Crash was standing right in front of him. There was no sign of his injuries anywhere, and he looked completely normal.<p>

"C-Crash?" Crush stuttered once he had regained his voice. "I-I thought you ran off...I thought you escaped somewhere else..."

"So did Cortex," Crash replied, giving a slight smile. "Besides, I'd never leave without kicking his butt again."

Crush looked at him strangely. "But...I saw you run off...and Cortex was constantly sending his minions after me because he couldn't find you..."

Crash just shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

Crush could feel tears come in his eyes, but they were happy tears. He gave Crash a hug. "It's good to see a friendly face."

Then suddenly, Crash screamed.

Crush instantly jumped back and horridly watched as the light gash on Crash's chest returned, blood dripping from it.

"You did this to me," Crash hissed, looking at Crush in terror. "This wouldn't have happened, if it wasn't for you." He clutched his chest, falling to the ground. "Why? You were my friend...why would you let this happen? Why...!?"

Crush backed away. "I never meant for you to get hurt! It's Brio...he just—he messed me up and turned me into this monster! Please—I'm sorry!"

"Brio had nothing to do with it. You were w-weak. It didn't just affect me, but all the others that you've harmed. You blame Brio? Tell everyone _else_ that."

Crush watched in horror as Crash vanished right before his eyes. Crush shut his eyes, desperately trying to hold in his tears. He could hear the sound of Brio's voice in his head.

"_You want to get back at Cortex? I can help you..."_

"_Just a simple injection, and you'll be strong enough to destroy Cortex..."_

Crush scrambled to get away from there, but his whole body felt numb. As soon as he opened his eyes, he could actually see Brio, cackling maniacally and laughing at him.

"**YOU!" **There was so much venom in one word.

In a flash, Crush let the monster within him loose, breaking a chunk of a building off. He held it high above his head, getting ready to chuck it at the scientist and ending his pain. Before he could do anything more, however, he froze.

Since when was Brio on fire?

Crush blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the greenness that was flooding his vision. When he finally snapped to his senses, he caught a glimpse at who was really in front of him.

"Dingodile!" Crush instantly dropped the piece of the building, turning back to normal. His vision constantly blurred, and the pounding against his head didn't stop. He dropped to the ground, clutching his head. "He's here...Brio...I-I saw him!"

"Crush, what are you talking about!? Listen to me—it's just your imagination! You've probably been experiencing nightmares so often, your mind is starting to believe they're real," Dingodile explained, putting a hand on Crush's shoulder.

"I almost killed you," Crush spoke barely above a whisper.

"But you didn't. I'm fine," Dingodile assured him. "You were just hallucinating."

"I almost killed you," Crush repeated frantically. "I didn't mean to—I had no clue—Brio was _right there!"_

"It's not your fault," Dingodile said calmly. "Come on; we have to go." He carefully helped Crush off the ground.

"I'm sorry..." Crush whispered. "I-I don't know what's real anymore." Dingodile put an arm around his shoulder and helped him walk. "I'm sorry. Please tell him I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hurt him...I didn't..." Crush stuttered.

"...I'm not following," Dingodile looked at him in confusion.

"Crash...I didn't mean to hurt him...it wasn't my fault; it was Brio's..." Crush shook his head irritably.

"It's okay, Crush. Come on; just a few more blocks, and you'll be fine," Dingodile replied.

"Pain...everywhere..." Crush shut his eyes tightly.

"Just hang in there," Dingodile assured him.

They both walked for a couple of minutes, and Crush gradually began to get calmer. There was complete silence most of the way until Crush—surprisingly—broke the silence. "How did you know?"

Dingodile glanced at him. "Know what?"

"About my nightmares. That they were the cause for these hallucinations?" Crush looked back at him.

Dingodile didn't answer, trying to avoid answering his question.

"Do you have nightmares?" Crush asked quietly.

Dingodile remained silent for a moment, but then replied just above a whisper, "Sometimes."

"How often?"

"I used to have them all the time, but they gradually began to stop," Dingodile answered. He was slightly hoping that Crush would drop the subject.

"What about?" Crush asked curiously.

Dingodile hesitated, but knew it was only fair because of what Crush had already gone through. "Deann."

Crush paused, looking at him. "Why?" he asked quietly.

Dingodile didn't answer.

Crush stopped so that Dingodile would stop, too. "What happened?" he asked, seriously.

"You noticed that she has robotic legs, right?" Dingodile's voice cracked slightly.

Crush stared at him blankly. Deann had _what?_

Dingodile seemed to read his expression. "She does. And it's—it's...because of me..."

Crush's eyes widened, and he gestured for him to continue.

"We were young, and I just—I turned my back for one second. I turned around, and she was—she was gone..." Dingodile quietly explained. "Just moments later, she got into some s-sort of accident."

"W-what happened?" Crush was shocked.

"Something happened to her legs." Dingodile didn't bother to go into detail. "If it wasn't for N. Gin giving her those robotic legs, I would've..." He paused. "I would've l-lost her..."

Crush saw the tears in his eyes and gave him a hug.

"It was all my fault...I-I didn't w-watch her, and she could've d-died because of me," Dingodile choked at his words.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have brought up such a personal subject..." Crush began to feel guilty.

Dingodile quickly wiped his tears, embarrassed. He normally tried to hide his emotions, but he sort of lost it. "N-no, thank you for asking. It feels better telling someone about it." He gave a slight smile.

"Is this why you acted the way you did before?" Crush quietly asked.

"Yes...I acted harsh just because I wanted to keep my sister safe. Ever since then, I've just been...overprotective. I appreciate how nice you were to her, though. She really likes you," Dingodile glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

Crush tried to avoid eye-contact with him. He didn't want it to seem evident that he liked her back.

"Do you like her?"

Crush just stared at the ground as they were walking. "It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean?" Dingodile frowned.

"What difference would it make? We can't be together, anyway," Crush sounded angry.

"I never asked if you wanted to be together, I just asked if you liked her," Dingodile raised his hands defensively.

Crush was embarrassed because he had given it away that he _did_ like her. "It doesn't matter," he repeated, ending the conversation.

Dingodile knew Crush didn't want to talk about it, so he just shrugged and kept silent.


	14. Seeing Her Again

"Blue."

"Really? I would've thought green."

Crush shot Dingodile a glare. "Why? Because I turn into the so called _'Incredible Hulk'?"_

Dingodile raised his hands defensively. "No! I just assumed green was your favorite color because...it's more popular than blue?"

Crush smirked and rolled his eyes, knowing he was just bluffing. "I'm just kidding," he admitted.

For the past hour or so, Dingodile and Crush were trying to find something that would pass the time. It wasn't necessarily _entertaining,_ but if it kept Crush calm from those earlier hallucinations, it was worth it. It also helped them both get to know each other better.

"How much longer?" Crush asked.

Dingodile seemed to recognize where he was. "Not much. Just a few minutes," he answered.

"Do you see her every day?"

It took Dingodile a while before he realized he was talking about Deann. "Sometimes I do. Not all the time because of all these things Cortex forces me to do," he admitted.

"You're finished with Cortex now, right?" Crush asked.

"Of course I am. Besides, I don't want to face him again! If I do, he'll punish me for breaking off the connection between us," Dingodile answered. "I've made my decision."

Crush was silent for a moment, thinking. It was a big risk, turning on Cortex like that. "You have no idea how much this means to me..." he said quietly. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Dingodile replied as they both reached a familiar house. "We're here."

Crush smiled to himself. He felt a little better, knowing that he could see Deann again. Dingodile walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and Deann gave a smile once she saw her brother. Once she noticed that Crush was behind him, though, her eyes widened.

"Crush!" She was surprised and looked at Dingodile. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain inside," Dingodile replied. Deann stepped aside so he and Crush could walk inside.

"Hi, again," Deann gave a smile, waving at Crush. Crush waved back.

"Crush needs to stay here for a while, if you don't mind." Dingodile decided to get right to the subject.

Deann crossed her arms. "What happened to all this "dangerous" nonsense?" she asked, still slightly irritated about how he had acted before.

"Deann, things have changed. I was wrong about Crush." Dingodile looked at Crush, whose expression softened.

"I had a feeling you were overreacting," Deann said, smirking.

Crush just stared at the ground. He hated to admit it, but even though Dingodile might have been overreacting, he was also right. He kept his mouth shut, though.

"Why don't you show Crush where he'll be staying?" Dingodile spoke up, noticing Crush's silence. Crush gave him a look of "thanks", and Deann took Crush into the other room.

"Ever since you left, I've wanted to apologize about Dingodile's behavior," Deann said.

"It's okay; he already apologized for that," Crush told her.

"That's good." Deann smiled.

Soon, they both stopped at a room. Deann turned around and noticed Dingodile making motions. She knew he probably wanted to talk with her alone, so she said to Crush, "Feel free to make yourself at home." She walked over to Dingodile.

"I sent him here so he could be safe," Dingodile told her.

"Safe? Safe from what?" Deann asked.

"Cortex is after him."

"Does he know you're _helping_ him?" Deann looked at him suspiciously.

"No; he doesn't. I intend to keep it that way, too. I cut off all connections between him and I, so he shouldn't know where Crush is at," Dingodile answered.

"Good..." Deann sighed with relief. "I'm glad you're finally not listening to that fathead anymore. I've never liked Cortex, anyway..."

Dingodile had to agree with her on that. The only reason he ever followed his orders was because he would get punished if he didn't. One thing for sure, though, he wasn't going to listen to that creep anymore.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Meanwhile, at Cortex's lair...<em>**

"Dr. Cortex...?" N. Gin slowly opened the door to Cortex's office.

Cortex didn't look up from his book. "This had better be good, N. Gin. I'm in the middle of something."

"We've lost contact with Dingodile," N. Gin spoke quietly.

_That_ definitely got Cortex's attention. "WHAT!?" he shouted, slamming the book onto his desk.

"T-the connection seems to be lost...I tried to fix it, but nothing is happening—"

Cortex stormed past him and over to the lab. N. Gin was right; the monitor that tracked Dingodile's whereabouts was nothing but static. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"I don't know...perhaps it got broken, somehow—"

"My tracking devices don't just _break_, N. Gin. They're practically almost indestructible! Why, the only way they could break is if..." Cortex trailed off.

"Dr. Cortex?" N. Gin looked at him curiously.

"...If someone was _trying_ to destroy it..." hissed Cortex. He clenched his fists.

"Dingodile wouldn't do that! Maybe Crush ended up destroying it so you wouldn't catch him...?" N. Gin suggested.

Cortex had a look of thought on his face, but shook it off. "Nonsense; Crush doesn't know about the tracking device. Besides, Dingodile would've told me he found Crush before that happened!"

"Perhaps he was ambushed—?"

"You're not helping, N. Gin!" Cortex shouted. "If we lost contact with Dingodile, then we have no way of locating Crush! Do you know how hard it is to find volunteers when they keep getting severely beaten up almost every time I send them out!?"

N. Gin was about to retort, but kept it to himself. "Yes..." he muttered.

"So, where am I going to find another volunteer that is actually _willing_ to go out and find Dingodile?" Cortex grouched.

"UNCLE CORTEX!" a voice yelled from a couple rooms away.

Cortex's scowl turned into a slight grin. "I have an idea_..._"


	15. The Witness

Crush heard a knock on the door and walked up to it. When he opened it, he saw Deann.

"Hi...I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she asked.

"No, I wasn't really doing anything," Crush admitted. "Just...thinking."

"Can I just...talk to you for a minute?" Deann asked, rather quietly.

Crush hesitated and began to wonder what she was going to say to him. "Um, sure..."

Deann shut the door behind her and slowly faced Crush. "Dingodile told me about you."

"What did he tell you?" Crush asked sternly. He didn't mean to be rude, but he was a little upset at Dingodile if he was blurting things out about him. "I mean, I understand if you want me to leave. I'll leave."

He stood up, but Deann stopped him. "I don't want you to leave!" she told him, confused. "He just told me that he sent you here to get away from Cortex..."

"Oh." Crush felt extremely embarrassed. He thought Dingodile had blurted out _everything_ about him.

"Why are you always so worried?" Deann asked him. "You always seem to act like you're such a bother, but you're not."

"Believe me; you'd understand if you were in my position..." Crush muttered.

Deann sat down on the bed next to him. "But you do realize that you're not a bother to _me_, right? You're free to stay here as long as you'd like, and I don't mind at all," she told him.

Crush felt a sense of déjàvu, for he had been told the same exact thing when staying with Crash. He only hoped that nothing would go wrong _here_, though. Even though he had been told that Cortex would never find him here, he couldn't help but feel doubtful. Because of everything that had happened, doubt was like a second nature to him.

"If only you _really_ knew about me," he spoke barely above a whisper.

"What?" Deann looked at him.

"Nothing." Crush shot his head up. He may have told Crash his secret, but there was no way he was telling Deann.

Deann curiously looked at the mysterious bandicoot. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You always seem...so..."

"...Unhappy?" Crush finished her sentence for her.

Deann didn't answer, wondering if she offended him.

"It's because I don't usually get situations like these where someone actually _wants_ to help me," Crush spoke bitterly.

Deann felt horrible for him and said, "I'll make sure no one will find you."

Crush rolled his eyes, highly doubting that, but felt something touch his cheek before Deann left the room. At that moment, he was in shock.

_She..._kissed _me._

* * *

><p>Nina Cortex walked down the sidewalk, rolling her eyes as Cortex constantly babbled on and on at the other end of her cell phone.<p>

"Yes—Uncle—I _get_ it. I'll go find Dingodile and see what the deal is!" she hollered, just about ready to chuck her phone at the nearest wall. "I have to go now. Yes—I _KNOW! _If I find Crush I'll contact you immediately! Now I have to GO!"

Nina angrily hung up, scowling to herself. She could understand why Cortex was so overprotective of her, but there were sometimes where she knew she was old enough to take care of herself.

"It's tough being treated like a kid, isn't it?"

Nina stopped dead on her tracks, cursing indistinctly when she recognized the voice behind her. She turned around sharply, glaring at the unwanted visitor. "Whaddaya want, Scarlett?"

Scarlett frowned. "Sheesh; do I always have to _want_ something? I was just walking around and decided to say hi."

"Yeah. Hello. Well, I'm on a tight schedule here, so why don't you find someone _else_ to bother?" Nina rolled her eyes, walking away.

Scarlett was not one to back off so easily. "What's Cortex having you do _this_ time?" she asked, following her.

Nina knew she obviously wasn't going to leave, so she just replied, "Dingodile's gone missing and Cortex is having me try to find him."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Really..."

"Yeah; the tracking device on him got broken or something. I don't know..." Nina shrugged as she continued walking.

"Well, if it's any help to you, last I saw him was yesterday." Scarlett glanced at her.

Nina stopped. "You did?"

"Yeah, he called me two days ago to help him find someone, so we met up yesterday to get that settled and such," Scarlett waved her hand around like it was nothing.

"Did he tell you where he was heading?" Nina's full attention was on Scarlett now, and she gave her a stern look.

Scarlett thought about that. She had been so terrified, she ran away before she could ask where he was going next. "Nope."

"Rats," Nina grumbled under her breath. "Just...keep an eye out for him. If you see him, call me immediately. Got it?"

"Got it." Scarlett gave a thumbs-up in return and started to walk away, but stopped. "Say...if I happen to find Dingodile, there probably isn't a _reward _involved...is there?"

Nina noticed her sly grin. _Typical Scarlett; always expecting something in return. _Rolling her eyes, she answered, "Not that I know of. Cortex isn't _that_ desperate to find him."

Scarlett's grin turned into a scowl as she began to walk away.

"Wait."

She turned around and looked at Nina, who pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. It was folded up, and Nina handed it to her.

"Cortex is willing to give a reward to anyone who finds _this_ guy," Nina told her.

Scarlett smirked. "I won't let you down. When it comes to rewards, I got eyes like a hawk!"

"I'm sure you do," Nina muttered, clearly not giving a crap. "Just call me when you find something."

Once she left, Scarlett chuckled to herself. "Now, who's the lucky guy?" She took out the piece of paper and unfolded it. Almost instantly, her expression turned pale.

The picture she was staring at was of Crush Bandicoot.


	16. Last Resort

Crush would've stayed in the other room alone all day if it wasn't for Deann convincing him to come out. She couldn't even get him to open the door until she threatened to break off the door hinges.

"Thank you." Deann smiled sweetly when Crush finally opened the door a crack, looking unamused. "Come on; Dingodile ordered pizza and we're gonna watch a movie."

"Thanks..." Crush began. Deann lit up. "...But no thanks."

Deann glared at him. "You're seriously going to back down pizza?"

"I'm not very hungry." The door began to close again, but Deann stuck her foot out and the door hit it with a metal _clang! _Crush slowly looked down, almost forgetting about her robotic legs. He quickly looked away, not wanting to think about that.

"When was the last time you even _ate_, Crush?" Deann asked.

That made Crush think. Hunger never really affected him, so he couldn't even remember. He was pretty sure the last time he ate was back at Crash's house, but that was weeks ago...

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Deann could clearly see that something was off about the bandicoot. "Just come out and join us. You could use some company."

_Actually, company is the _last_thing I want..._ Crush thought to himself, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

Deann noticed his silence. "Can you do it for Dingodile?" she asked, but got no response. "Okay fine; forget Dingodile. Can you at least do it for me?"

Crush paused and thought about that for a moment, looking at her.

"Please?" she asked.

Couldn't she see that he wanted to be alone? Crush was annoyed, but couldn't quite bring himself to be mad at Deann. After all, she had been nothing but nice to him ever since he had arrived...

"Fine..." Crush spoke, barely audible.

Deann smiled at his sudden change in choice as he finally came out of the room.

* * *

><p>Crush almost regretted wanting to stay in his room. The movie was great, and he even began to get along with Dingodile and Deann more. He was mostly glad that Deann had convinced him to join them, or else he'd be in his room all night feeling miserable.<p>

Crush looked at Deann when he caught her looking at him. "I've never heard you laugh before, Crush." Her voice sounded happy, yet almost sad at the same time.

Crush blushed. He couldn't even remember the last time he laughed, or was even in a good mood in general. He caught himself staring at Deann, but then quickly looked away, embarrassed. He noticed some paper plates lying around and said, "I'll take care of these plates."

"Thanks," Deann smiled.

Shortly after Crush had thrown away the plates, he began heading back into the living room until there was a knock on the door. He stopped dead in his tracks.

Dingodile walked up to the door and opened it, smirking when he saw Scarlett. "Heh. Come to get your money, I'm guessing?"

Scarlett opened her mouth to reply, but instantly shut it as soon as she saw a figure peek into the room. When she recognized it as Crush, she quickly turned her attention back to Dingodile and said, "Yes, if you don't mind."

"Alright..." Dingodile sighed as he reached into his pocket, taking out some money. He handed it over to Scarlett, who took it without hesitation. Once she had it, she turned around and headed out the door.

"See you around," Dingodile said.

Scarlett was caught off guard, her mind clearly on something else. "Right," she mumbled, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as the door shut, Scarlett understood everything that was going on. Dingodile wanted to find Crush, not to turn him in to Cortex, but to keep him safe.

"Heh. This will be some news to Nina..." Scarlett smirked, taking out her phone.

* * *

><p>Crush didn't return to the living room. He walked back into his own room and couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. At first when he saw Scarlett, he thought it was nothing, but as soon as she noticed him, it was as if she was trying to hide something. It wasn't as if he trusted her anyway, but he knew that Scarlett wasn't there <em>just<em> for the money.

Crush glanced out the window for a second, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Scarlett at the front door. Her back was facing it and she seemed to be on her phone.

_Who is she talking to?_

Crush was never one to eavesdrop, but he needed to know what was going on. Slowly, he opened the window and slightly leaned forward, trying to listen to Scarlett's conversation.

* * *

><p>"I found him," Scarlett spoke into the phone.<p>

"_Wow. I never would've expected you to call this soon. Where is he?" _Nina asked from the other end.

"Deann's place."

Nina slapping herself could be heard. "_Of COURSE! I'm so stupid; I totally forgot she had her own house..."_

"So...about that reward..." Scarlett smirked.

"_Don't be so sure about it until what we know what you say is true." _Nina sounded annoyed.

"Gotcha. I'll meet up with you afterward." With that, Scarlett hung up and walked away.

* * *

><p>Crush simply stood there, frozen stiff. He couldn't speak, but he didn't need to. He had already heard enough.<p>

_He set this up. He set this whole thing up. He LIED to me. HE _LIED_TO ME!_

Crush punched the wall with his fist. _Dingodile never wanted to keep me safe; he set this whole thing up so Scarlett would tell Cortex of my whereabouts. I trusted him. I TRUSTED him, and that was all part of his plan. I should've known better...WHY DIDN'T I STOP MYSELF!?_

Words could not describe how Crush felt. "Why would he do this?" He broke down, falling to his knees. "After all that had happened...him confessing to me about Deann..." He clenched his fists

Crush began to have a sense of déjàvu. He could just remember weeks ago when he was staying with Crash, and Cortex had found him. Once again, Crush had found himself helplessly staring at the window, remembering the pieces of shattered glass that had lay in front him. He eyed a piece of glass that was on the windowsill, and, without even thinking, his hand slowly reached out for it...

Crush shook his head frantically. He was starting to have hallucinations again, and his heart was pounding in his chest.

Crush made his decision. He opened the window, and jumped out. He couldn't do it; he couldn't face something like this again. The one person he trusted...and it was nothing but a sick joke. Cortex was right: he wasn't a hero; he was nothing but a monster "pretending" to be one.

He was Crush Bandicoot, and he was going to run. That was all he was ever good at, anyway...


	17. Confrontations

The next day, Dingodile and Deann grew curious at Crush's sudden disappearance. They assumed last night, when he didn't return to the living room, that he went to bed. It was past noon, though, and they haven't heard anything from him.

"Hey, Crush?" Dingodile knocked on the door of Crush's room.

There was no answer.

"Are you alright?" Dingodile raised an eyebrow.

No response came.

Dingodile opened the door, finally. He expected to see Crush in the corner of the room where he normally was, but instead he saw nothing. The room was empty.

Dingodile's eyes widened. He walked into the room, looking around. "Crush!?" When silence was his only response, he only had one thought in his mind. Crush had run away. But why?

"Was it something I said?" Dingodile thought of all that had happened last night. He didn't say or do anything that seemed to tick off the bandicoot. In fact, he had never actually seen Crush so _happy_ before.

Dingodile thought harder, but while he was thinking, he happened to notice a note sitting on a nearby table. Almost instantly, he bolted to the piece of paper and unfolded it.

**Thank you for bringing Scarlett here.**

**She made me realize how much of a fool I was.**

Dingodile's mouth came wide open at the last sentence, and he was speechless.

_Scarlett...?_

Dingodile narrowed his eyes, gripping the note tightly. His eyes turned yellow and he scowled, knowing that Scarlett obviously had something to do with this.

"I'm going to give her a little visit," he growled, storming out the door.

* * *

><p>Scarlett sat on the couch, watching some sort of soap opera.<p>

"Mm-hm. You should've seen it coming, Brad. Cheating on Vanessa like that..." She shook her head and chuckled to herself, taking another handful of popcorn.

A loud bang on the door startled her. Scarlett jumped off the couch, heading towards the door. "I'm coming! Sheesh!" She opened the door and saw Dingodile in front of her. His arms were crossed, and he did not look happy at all.

"I'm not returning the money, bub," Scarlett frowned.

"This isn't about the money."

"Oh, of course not. You've come to see me, haven't you? I just _knew_ you couldn't keep away from me for that long." Scarlett snickered, giving him a wink.

Dingodile was not in the mood for jokes. His temper went off and he shoved Scarlett into the wall, holding her by her shirt. "Where is he!?" he hissed.

"Easy there, tiger." Scarlett raised an eyebrow. "Where is who?"

"You know _exactly_ who I'm talking about. What did you say to Crush!?" Dingodile yelled.

"Crush? I didn't say _anything_ to him." Scarlett looked confused. "Why? What's up?"

Dingodile grabbed her wrist, dragging her out the door.

"Ow! Hey! What's your deal!?" she shouted, but Dingodile ignored her screams and dragged her all the way back to Deann's house. Once they reached the front door, he let go of her wrist, which she instantly jerked away from him.

"You were cutting off my blood circulation, man!" Scarlett hissed.

"Shut up and get in here," Dingodile growled after opening the door.

"Oh yeah? And what if I refuse?" Scarlett crossed her arms. "This is called kidnapping, you know."

Dingodile put his hand on her back and shoved her inside. She fell to the ground, but got back up and brushed herself off. "Alright, what is your deal!? Are you having one of your "mood swings" or something!?"

Deann walked into the room, suddenly. "What's with all the yelling?" she asked.

"Thank GOODNESS! Can you talk some sense into your brother? He practically kidnapped me and dragged me all the way here!" Scarlett shouted, taking a step away from Dingodile.

"What's going on?" Deann asked, looking at him.

"You wanna know what's going on? I'll tell you." Dingodile walked out of the room. Seconds later he returned with a piece of paper.

Deann and Scarlett looked at him curiously as he tossed the paper onto the table in front of them. "Crush ran away last night."

"What?" Deann's mouth came wide open.

"Crush is _gone_," Dingodile repeated.

"...Why?" Deann could barely speak.

Dingodile pointed at Scarlett. _"__Me?"_ she looked astonished.

"Read the note."

Scarlett picked up the paper and read it. Almost instantly, her eyes widened. "Oh crap..."

"So you _do_ know why he left." Dingodile raised an eyebrow, glaring at her.

"He must've...overheard me talking on the phone..." Scarlett muttered, almost indistinctly.

"Talking on the phone...?" Dingodile's eyes widened. "Who were you calling?"

"I was told that you were sent to find Crush! I ran into Nina the other day and realized that they somehow lost your connection—" Scarlett started.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA..." Dingodile cut her off. "So you TOLD her where I was!?"

Scarlett was about to retort, but shut her mouth.

"You were promised a reward if you found Crush...is _that_ it?" Dingodile spoke in low voice.

Scarlett tried to come up with an excuse, but no words came out.

"How could you _do_ something like that?" Deann looked shocked.

"I should've known better than to call you to find him!" Dingodile hissed.

Scarlett just stared at him. She practically did his job _for_ him, and THIS was how he was repaying her?

"Tell me, Scarlett. Are you going to turn _me_ in to Cortex!?" Dingodile yelled.

"What?"

"I cut off connections between me and him! Cortex is _beyond_ ticked at me, so are you going to turn ME in to him!?" Dingodile clenched his fists.

Scarlett's back was against the wall. "No..." she spoke barely above a whisper.

"Why?" Dingodile hissed.

"Because you're...you're a f-friend of mine..."

"So instead of just being Crush's friend, you decide giving him to Cortex is a better idea," Deann spoke up.

"I—just—" Scarlett could barely speak.

"Don't even try to deny it." Dingodile glared at her. He glanced back at the note, shaking his head. "Who knows where he could be by now...?" he muttered. It was then that he saw Deann heading towards the door. "Deann, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to find Crush!" she yelled.

"Deann, wait!" Dingodile ran up to her and grabbed her shoulder. "Listen; I don't like this situation just as much as you, but maybe Crush leaving is better than what Scarlett was planning to do with him."

Deann whirled around. "Well, if you won't find him, then _I _will! He obviously thinks we don't care about him, and I'm going to prove him wrong!"

Dingodile backed off instantly, knowing that he couldn't convince her otherwise. Deann turned around and stormed out the door.


	18. Drowning Sorrows

**Warning: This chapter is rather dark as well.**

* * *

><p>As much as Dingodile thought that leaving Crush was best, he couldn't help but worry whenever the bandicoot was alone. He noticed that Crush's mental state seemed to be slowly deteriorating, and he could be very unpredictable at this rate. The more Dingodile thought about it, he secretly hoped that Deann would find Crush despite what he had told her earlier.<p>

Dingodile's train of thought was broken when he heard Scarlett sigh loudly. _Too _loudly. He tried to ignore her, but she sighed once more.

"WHAT!?" he finally shouted, facing her.

"Don't you think tying me up is a little _too_ much?" Scarlett pointed at the rope that tied her onto the chair she was sitting in.

"No." Dingodile turned away from her. "It'll take a _lot_ from you to gain my trust."

"Okay, I take back what I said before. _THIS_ is kidnapping!" Scarlett yelled as she tried to move. Not likely.

Dingodile ignored her, clearly thinking about something more important. He thought about what would happen when Cortex showed up...what he would _do_ to him...

All he knew was that he needed a plan. And fast.

* * *

><p>All those years of running had served Crush well. He sprinted away, taking every shortcut he knew so he'd be hard to lose. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to find him, even if it was Deann.<p>

Finally, Crush wasn't even around buildings anymore. He ran into the woods, not daring to look back for anything, even if he _was_ being followed. When he had finally reached the end of the woods, he was in a large empty field. His legs tired out from running for hours, but he didn't want to stop. He just wanted to get away from anyone and everyone...

Crush's legs finally gave out and he fell onto the grass. That didn't stop him, though, as he crawled forward.

Suddenly, he came across a lake. Crush instantly forgot about everything else and got up, sprinting toward the lake like his life depended on it. He was so thirsty he practically stuck his head in the water. He almost nearly drowned himself, but he didn't care...

_Did_ he?

Crush slowly raised his head, not taking his eyes off the water that was in front of him. _Right there_ was something that couldpossibly make this all end. His pain...depression...betrayal...

Crush's eyes clenched shut. He didn't even know if he could do it—take his own life. He lowered his head, his nose just barely touching the water as if he was making sure it was really there...that it wasn't another hallucination. He began to count down from three, but by the time he came to zero he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"GAAH!" Crush covered his eyes with his hands, lifting his head away from the water. Maybe if he couldn't end things that way, he could just sit here and die.

"Crush," a quiet voice whispered. It sounded familiar. _Too_ familiar.

Crush's hands dropped from his face from shock, looking up into Deann's blue eyes. He was astonished. He tried to say something, but nothing came out. He wanted to tell her his feelings about her so badly, but couldn't bring himself to say it when tears came in his eyes.

Deann smiled, and Crush couldn't help but smile as well. Somehow, she always seemed to understand. She opened her mouth to say something, but...

"Crush! Crush, are you okay!?" A hand placed itself on Crush's back, shaking him. Startled, he turned around, looking into the worried eyes of Coco Bandicoot.

"NO—" Crush turned around, but Deann was gone. Yet another one of his hallucinations had tricked him.

Crush roughly jerked away from Coco, who took a step back. "Crush, it's just me!" She raised her hands defensively.

Crush then realized that he had raised his fist to hit her. Instantly, he lowered it, covering his eyes with his hands. "I'm sorry..." he said in a shaky voice.

Coco just looked at him incredulously. "Crush...you were _crying_."

Crush looked up at her, his green eyes filled with tears.

"You were just staring into thin air and crying." Coco looked concerned.

Crush was confused. He never cried. He may have had tears in his eyes, but he never let them fall; he shook them off and dealt with the situation. Slowly, he felt the tears run down his face. He never remembered crying...

Crush didn't need to say anything else because, next thing he knew, Coco had her arms wrapped around him in a hug. He knew that she didn't do it because she felt bad for him, but simply because she saw how miserable he was. Crush returned the hug—thankful that Coco was there. He knew that she wasn't like the others.

When Crush was finally able to calm down, he asked hesitantly, "W-what are you doing here?"

That made Coco completely silent. She looked hurt and stared at the ground, avoiding eye-contact with him.

"Coco?" Crush sounded serious.

Tears came in Coco's eyes. "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have come, but I had to find you...I had to do _something—_"

"Do what, Coco?"

"It's...Cr-Crash..." Coco choked on her words. "He—I—just—"

Crush put his hands on her shoulder, forcing her to face him. "What happened?"

Coco looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "It's Cortex; he captured Crash. He told me he would let him go...if he got you in return."


	19. Demonic Side

**This is personally my favorite chapter :D**

* * *

><p>By the time Deann finally returned home she was cold, wet, and miserable. She could barely see in the dark, not to mention she felt like she had failed. Crush was absolutely nowhere in sight and, more than anything, she wanted to just hold him close and tell him how much she really <em>did<em> care about him.

Deann turned around a corner and headed towards her house, but stopped dead in her tracks.

Someone was already at the door.

Quickly, Deann backed away, peeking from around the corner. It was hard to recognize the figure because of how dark it was, but she had a feeling it was trouble.

* * *

><p>Dingodile's heart stopped when there was a knock on the door. He knew it wasn't Deann, though, since this was <em>her<em> house.

_Just stay calm. If you panic, he'll know you're lying._ Dingodile took a deep breath, opening the door and looking calmly at the figure in front of him.

_N. Gin_.

"N. Gin!" Dingodile was so happy he could cry. He trusted N. Gin ever since what he had done for Deann.

"Dingodile! So you _are_ here!" N. Gin seemed equally happy. "This will please Cortex!"

Dingodile's smile turned into a frown.

"What have you been doing? We lost your connection, and Cortex just about threw a _major_ temper tantrum—" N. Gin was cut off when Dingodile grabbed his arm and jerked him into the house.

"What are you doing?" N. Gin asked incredulously, watching as Dingodile slammed the door shut and locked it.

"N. Gin...you're my friend, right?" Dingodile's tone was serious.

"Well, yeah—I—what's going on?" N. Gin looked frightened.

"If you really are my friend, then you won't tell any of this to Cortex." Dingodile's voice took on a commanding tone.

"Any—w-what?" N. Gin stuttered.

"Yes, Dingodile. What _don't_ you want him to tell me?"

The new voice made Dingodile's blood turn cold. He was practically frozen in fear, not able to move a muscle.

"It seems that you weren't actually following my orders, now..._were_ you, Dingodile?" Cortex's voice was calm, and that was what scared Dingodile the most.

Dingodile's silence only angered Cortex even more. "Answer me, you fool!" He hissed.

"No," Dingodile spoke dryly.

"Exactly. May I ask why you destroyed my tracking device?" Cortex pulled something out of his pocket, and it just so happened to be the broken tracking device. He held it in front of Dingodile, making sure he could see it.

Dingodile didn't answer, staring at N. Gin with pleading eyes. He wished that he could somehow communicate to the cyborg with his thoughts, for N. Gin surely would understand why Dingodile did what he did.

N. Gin just stayed back behind Cortex, obviously not wanting to get in his master's way.

Dingodile's hopelessness began to turn into anger. "Because I quit."

Cortex looked taken aback. Rage consuming his features, he gripped his hand around Dingodile's arm, obviously not pleased with that answer. "Perhaps you do not understand what I have done for you: I _created_ you. I saved your sister's life, and even when she turned against me, I didn't destroy her, for _you_. I gave you this power because you were my most loyal mutant at the time. All this GOOD I have done for you, and yet you _DARE_ TURN AGAINST ME?" His voice rose to a shout.

"_N. Gin_ saved my sister's life. Not you." Dingodile's voice gave a venomous tone. "And the only reason you didn't destroy her was because you didn't even know where she _was_. Don't give me this crap on how you've done things for me!" He spat those words at Cortex as if they were dirt.

His words left Cortex's mouth hanging wide open. "Don't let this fathead get to you, N. Gin! Speak up!" Dingodile shouted.

N. Gin looked downright terrified. Cortex slowly turned around and faced him. "Don't you DARE turn on me too, N. Gin!" he growled.

"No, Master! You know I wouldn't..." N. Gin sputtered, raising his hands in defense.

"I know how much you despise him, N. Gin! Don't let him boss you around!" Dingodile yelled, his anger rising.

"N. GIN..." Cortex clenched his fists.

N. Gin covered his face with his hands as if it would make them both disappear.

"Stick up for yourself, N. Gin!"

"Don't listen to him! _I'm_ your master!"

"I _know_ you don't want to listen to him! You don't have to!"

"STOP!" N. Gin finally screamed, silencing everyone. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" He ran to Cortex. "Master, I am—and always will be—your friend. Anything you want me to do, I'll do it!" he squeaked.

Cortex gave a sinister grin. "_That's_ more like it."

Dingodile just stood there, astonished. His mind was completely blank for a moment, but then the emotions that he usually kept at the back of his mind stirred. _Anger. Bitterness. Hatred. Betrayal_.

How could N. Gin do this to him? After all he had done; he saved Deann's life, not to mention treated Dingodile with uttermost respect...and now he was throwing that all away to please _Cortex_.

All these emotions filled throughout Dingodile's mind, and he just about snapped. **"****TRAITOR!" **He burst into flames, grabbing N. Gin by his shirt. "YOU SAID YOU WERE MY _FRIEND!_ I _TRUSTED _YOU!"

N. Gin only stared into his eyes, which had a fiery blaze in them. He tried to speak, but it came out more like a high pitch squeak.

"That's quite enough," Cortex spoke up. "I didn't create you to go terrorizing my assistants." Despite his strict tone, he looked rather amused at Dingodile's anger.

Dingodile just wanted to rip that smug look off Cortex's face. His fiery alter-ego threw a fireball at Cortex, but he ducked at the last second. "YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU NEVER _EVEN_ CREATED ME BY THE TIME I GET THROUGH WITH YOU!" The demonic creature went into an absolute frenzy of rage and, to his pleasure, he struck the side of Cortex's face, leaving a long red scar in its place. Cortex was thrown against the wall, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"D-Dingodile! Stop!"

Dingodile snapped his head toward N. Gin, waiting for a reason why he should. He was nowhere _near_ finished with Cortex.

"This isn't you." N. Gin's voice was quiet and timid. "You're only proving that Cortex was successful in turning you into a monster. You're better than that!"

Dingodile just glared at him. To him, N. Gin was nothing but a liar, a traitor, and a hypocrite. Why the heck should he listen to him?

_This isn't you_.

Dingodile seemed frozen at those words. As much as it pained him to think this, N. Gin was right. This _wasn't_ him. Hissing in pain, Dingodile brought a hand up to his head and the flames around him vanished. He looked at N. Gin, not sure whether to thank him or beat the crap out of him.

Before he could do either, N. Gin walked up to him. "Get Crush and run away as far as you can."

It took Dingodile a second before he realized that N. Gin was letting him get away. He stared at him, shocked and confused.

"Go! Before Cortex wakes up!" N. Gin's voice was urgent.

Dingodile quickly stepped over to the door, but turned to face N. Gin. "I'm...sorry..."

"Forget it; just go!" N. Gin frantically looked at Cortex, who began to stir.

"Thank you." Dingodile shifted to his firebird form and bolted out the door. He made sure he was well out of sight and nearly dove to the ground, slamming onto the concrete. Once he faded back to his normal self, he didn't even move. All he could think about was what he had done, and he was not proud of it one bit.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" Dingodile had always tried to keep his emotions hidden so he wouldn't let his alter-ego have dominion over him. Something inside of him had just snapped, causing him to lash out without any control over himself.

Only one thing was on his mind, however, and that was the fact that N. Gin had saved his life, even after he scolded him and accused him of betraying him. Maybe the cyborg wasn't as bad as he thought...


	20. Hero or Monster?

Crush curiously watched in silence as Coco helped him wrap up his injuries, most of which he didn't even know he had.

"So, why aren't you at your house at this time of night?" he quietly asked.

"It's not safe for me to go back," Coco muttered, putting all the supplies back in her first-aid kit.

"Why not?"

"Cortex's minions are there. Cortex made sure that I wouldn't return and, instead, forced me to find you," Coco answered.

Crush crossed his arms. "And what might he do if I refuse to be apart of this?" To be honest, he just didn't want to deal with Cortex. He was in a bad enough mood as it was.

The look on Coco's face immediately made him regret his tone. She just stared blankly at the ground, tears in her eyes. "He said he would _kill_ Crash..."

Crush looked unconvinced. "Come on; this is Crash we're talking about! A bandicoot who not only is a hero, but defeated Cortex like umpteen times in the past! Why should this be any different?" He tried to lighten the mood, but his tone almost sounded just as worried as hers.

"He's vulnerable, Crush. Cortex has him trapped and there's no way he can escape without help..." Coco looked at him. "Please, Crush; you have to do something!"

Crush took a step back. "I—I don't have to do anything."

"He'll _die_, Crush! He'll die if you don't do anything about it!" Coco's voice slightly cracked.

"And what's the difference if _I_ come? Cortex only wants to use me as a weapon against him!" Crush told her.

"At least if you come, they'll be more of a chance we can save Crash!"

"That's where you're wrong, Coco." Crush shook his head, turning away from her. "I'm not a hero; I'm a monster pretending to be one."

"You're not a monster, Crush." Coco frowned.

"Yeah? You're brother said the exact same thing, yet look what I've done to _him_."

"That was an accident," Coco told him.

"What if another 'accident' happens!?" Crush nearly shouted. "You've seen how dangerous I am. I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

Coco's sadness began to turn into anger. "You may think it's better to back off and not do anything, but constantly hiding and acting like a coward won't make anything better!"

"Coco...just stop." Crush shut his eyes, trying to prevent himself from blowing up.

"You need to go out there and _help_ him—"

"STOP!" Crush almost lashed out at her, but he stopped himself and lashed at a tree instead.

Coco jumped back and stared at him in shock.

Crush shut his eyes, clenching his fists. "I can't. I just can't risk hurting anyone else."

"Crush..." Coco slowly put a hand on his shoulder but he jerked away.

"I'm sorry, Coco." Crush started walking away.

"Wait!" Coco shouted. If it wasn't for her pleading tone, Crush wouldn't have turned around. He glanced back at her. "What am I supposed to do?" She felt so helpless, having her older brother held captive.

Crush honestly didn't know, so he said the first the thing that came into his mind. "Just run. Run as far away as you can and don't let Cortex find you."

"But—Crash—" Coco started.

"There's nothing you can do." Crush's voice slightly cracked at his own words. "I'm sorry, but you're on your own."

Coco was left in the field, feeling hopeless and completely lost. _Why would Crush _do_that to Crash? _Tears came into her eyes, but her sadness was quickly replaced with anger. If Crush wasn't going to help Crash, then she would. She took off in the opposite direction of Crush.

Crush walked through the field, his own words repeating in his head. How could he have said that to Coco? He began regretting his words when remembering the helpless look on Coco's face.

_You're a monster. And that's all you'll ever be_.

Crush gritted his teeth and hit himself, trying to get Cortex's voice out of his head. He didn't try to block it out because it was a lie, but simply because he knew it was the truth.

Suddenly, he stopped walking and a familiar voice began to echo through his mind.

_Do not think that just because you have this darkness in you, it defines who you are._

Crush instantly shot his head up, recognizing that voice. He slowly turned to look behind himself and, as if right on cue, Aku Aku slowly approached him from the shadows.

Crush knew there were many things he did not know about Aku, but him disappearing and reappearing like that was starting to creep him out.

"I meant it when I said that you were not evil, Crush," Aku told him in a serious tone. "You only lose control of yourself because you do not trust yourself."

"Well, it's kind of hard to, seeing how half of myself enjoys destroying everything," Crush muttered bitterly.

"And why do you think that?" Aku raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that the only reason you can't control it is because you do not _want_ to control it?"

Crush was silent for a really long time while thinking about that question. He almost had an answer, but cut himself off and shook his head. "I just don't want to deal with it anymore."

"All things were given for a purpose," Aku told him. "The question is, where will you find _your_ purpose?"

Crush opened his mouth to reply, but actually had no clue what to say. He frowned. "Why can't _you_ save Crash? It would make the situation a whole lot easier," he grumbled.

"Well, then it would sort of hinder your purpose, now, wouldn't it?" Aku gave a smirk, which was unlikely for the serious mask. He soon faded off into the shadows, leaving the bandicoot to think about his statement.

Crush was not at all confused; he _knew_ what Aku wanted him to do. He just didn't exactly _want_ to do it. Crush covered his face with his hands, hearing Aku's voice echo through his head. Seeing how Aku wasn't even there anymore, he assumed that he was finally going insane. Well, if almost drowning himself wasn't insane enough.

"Why me?" Crush asked himself. "Why do _I_ have to do something about this?"

Suddenly, he began to remember Coco's words to him:

_He'll die, Crush. He'll die if you don't do anything about it._

Crush gritted his teeth, his mind urging himself to do the right thing. But that was just it; what _was_ the right thing to do? Part of him wanted to save Crash, but the other part told him to stay out of it to keep him safe.

_Do the right thing, Crush._ This time he knew he wasn't insane; that was actually Aku's voice.

"He's...right..." Crush muttered, slowly removing his hands from his face. "I—I can't do this to Crash...he's my..._friend_." He never used the word "friend" lightly. Never having one for such a long time, the bandicoot was used to feeling alone and rejected. Crash had turned that around, treating him with respect and even letting him stay at his house.

Crush stood up straight, and he could sense that Aku was proud of his decision. Knowing that he couldn't turn back now, he headed straight into the darkness of the woods.


	21. Playing the Hero

Crush knew his way to Cortex's lair by heart. It was a scary thought since he hadn't been there in over two years, but useful in a sense that he was to avoid it at all costs. His heart pounded against his chest as he slowly raised his head, glancing at the giant castle-like building in front of him. Here was the place he managed to avoid for so long, and he was finally returning to it.

Crush contemplated whether to arrive at the front door like a normal person, but immediately thought against it. _The last thing I want is to attract Cortex's attention..._ he thought to himself. _I'll just save Crash and run. _He nodded his head, agreeing with that idea.

Sneaking away from the front door, Crush began cautiously peeking through windows to see if he could find Crash anywhere. He caught himself whispering Crash's name, but instantly shut his mouth. _You moron! You just said you don't want to attract Cortex's attention! _he mentally yelled at himself.

Making sure he kept his mouth shut, Crush continued to sneak around. After about three minutes of doing so, he knew he had no choice but to come inside and search for Crash that way. Crush hesitated, anxiously looking around to see if anyone was nearby. When he saw no one, he took a deep breath, silently making his way through an open window. Quietly shutting it behind him, he looked around the dark room.

Crush knew he couldn't see in the dark, but his alter-ego _could_. Making sure he had complete control over himself, he shifted his eyes from their normal brown to a bright neon green. Everything became green, but at least he could see everything. Looks like there was a bit of use to his other self, after all.

Crush instantly scratched out that thought, shaking it away as if it was some sort of disease. What was he _thinking?_ He didn't want to control his alter-ego; he wanted to get _rid_ of it. It wasn't him. Period.

"Crush...?" a weak voice croaked, breaking him out of his train of thought.

Crush instantly shot his head towards the area where the voice came from. His eyes shifted back to their normal brown, and once they adjusted to the darkness, he gasped.

"Crash!" He ran over to the trapped bandicoot, who had his arms chained to the wall. "Don't worry; I'm getting you out of here!"

"No—don't—" Crash shook his head vigorously.

"_What?"_ Crush clenched his fists. He had been at his breaking point, and it almost took forever for Coco and Aku Aku to convince him to save Crash in the first place. Now, Crash didn't even _want_ to be saved? He was just about to retort, but Crash spoke first.

"It's a trap!"

Crush didn't even have time to respond because all the lights suddenly shot on, blinding him. He yelped and shut his eyes at the sudden brightness, but regretted opening them when he saw none other than Cortex standing right in front of him.

"It's about time." Cortex's voice was calm, and an evil grin spread across his face.

Crush could just feel his temper rising. More than anything, he wanted to get rid of this mad scientist who had been trying to use him as nothing but a weapon. He could feel the creature inside of him trying to claw its way out, but refused to give in. The last thing he wanted to do was something regretful.

"I always _knew_ you were drawn to your friends," Cortex sneered.

"Let Crash go, Cortex." Crush tried to sound serious, but his voice slightly cracked. He tried all he could to keep calm. "You got what you wanted. I'm here now."

To his surprise, Cortex started laughing. "You fool! You _really_ think I was just going to let that infernal bandicoot _leave?_ Oh, NO. Now that I've got you right where I want you, I'm going to make sure you finish him off once and for all!"

Crush's mouth came wide open. There was no way he came all this way, just for Cortex to do something like _THIS! _He raised his fist, charging towards Cortex. Before he could deck him, however, a glass wall separated them. Crush punched the wall, but it didn't even leave a crack. "What!?" He looked around himself, only to see that he was inside a glass cage.

"Is that any way to treat your master?" Cortex gave a slight frown.

Crush repeatedly rammed himself against the glass, but it was no use. Cortex laughed at his failed attempts to escape. "I must have been the most ignorant person in the world, letting you just slip through my fingers like that. Rest assured, I will _not_ let that happen again."

Two robotic arms shot up from the ground inside of the cage and snapped something around Crush's neck. Crush thrashed around and tried to break it off, but it seemed indestructible. "What did you do to me!?" he hissed, his eyes glowing green.

"Just a little something to make sure you will follow my orders." Cortex smirked, holding up a remote. He pressed the big red button in the middle.

Crush gasped in pain as an electrical shock came through the collar around his neck, shocking him. He weakly fell to the ground, yelling.

Crash couldn't bear to see his friend in pain, He struggled to break free from the chains, but it was no use.

When the pain finally ceased, Crush held his head, trying all he could to push his alter-ego back. He knew that Cortex was only trying to release the creature to use it against Crash.

Cortex seemed impressed at the way Crush seemed calm. "Impressive. So, you've managed to control yourself through that little experiment. Can you do it for very long, though?" He pressed the button again, and the electrical shock returned.

Crush shouted in pain, falling to the ground once more. When it subsided, he only glared at Cortex weakly. "Is...that all you...got?" he growled.

"This is only the beginning." Cortex snapped his fingers. N. Gin came in through the door behind him, dragging along a tied-up Coco, who was struggling to break free. Her mouth was tied up so she couldn't speak.

Crush's eyes widened, and a small gasp escaped him. He should've known that poor Coco would try to save Crash all by herself. Coco gave him a look of apology, which he acknowledged.

"I _know_ that these two weren't the only ones you stayed with, Crush." Cortex's voice got his attention once more.

Crush instantly faced him. How much did this guy _know?_

Cortex held up a small device, tinkering around with it for a bit. He walked over to Crush and showed it to him. It had a little screen on it and it showed Dingodile, who was in his firebird form and looking for Crush.

"I should've known with the power that I gave him, he'd turn against me," Cortex spat. "In fact, I should give him a little something. You know...like a going-away present..." He walked over to a machine of some sort that was covered by a blanket. Pulling the blanket off, there revealed to be some sort of giant rocket attached to it.

Crush gasped. Cortex grinned evilly as he pressed the red button. Immediately, the rocket fired out the window.

The target: Dingodile.


	22. Wicked Intentions

"NO!" Crush shouted, but he knew it was too late. He clenched his eyes shut, pressing his fist against the glass.

Cortex smirked, noticing a tear fall down Crush's eye. Cortex knew the creature wasn't triggered by _sadness_, though. He walked up to the cage and spoke just barely above a whisper, "Let's also not forget someone _else_."

Crush didn't take his eyes off Cortex. _He WOULDN'T._

"You never did tell her about your little..._condition_...did you?" Cortex gave a wicked smile.

Crush didn't answer. He couldn't even speak.

"Such a shame that all of this will be going so fast. The death of her brother...the discovery that her boyfriend is nothing but a monster..."

Tears were quickly replaced with rage.

"Any words you wish to say to her before you go?"

Deann's muffled screams were heard. Just like Coco, she was tied up, and her mouth was covered.

Crush almost seemed frozen in time. He clenched his eyes shut, but that didn't stop him from seeing what he didn't want to see.

Coco's hopeless expression.

Crash chained to the wall.

The giant rocket.

Dingodile.

_Deann_.

So many emotions were thrown at him all at once...but then one overtook the rest:

_RAGE._

Crush swore he never felt this angry before in his life. It was too late for him to stop himself, and pain erupted throughout his body as the creature literally tore his way out.

Crash and Coco were startled. It was one thing watching this from a distance, but _right there_...it was downright terrifying.

Deann, on the other hand, was stunned. Her body felt completely paralyzed, and she couldn't move a muscle. She did nothing but stare at Crush, and it suddenly hit her like a brick.

"_Crush..."_

Slowly, she began to somehow understand. This _had_ to be the reason for the bandicoot's behavior and why Cortex was after him.

A repeated _**BANG!**_ broke her train of thought, and she watched as Crush repeatedly slammed his fists onto the wall of the cage, trying to break it open. If she didn't already witness what had happened, she would've never known that this..._thing_ was really him.

"Sh-shouldn't you let him out?" N. Gin quietly asked.

Cortex only gave an evil grin in reply. "Let him build up his anger. If he's attached to that emotion long enough, there won't be any interruptions."

Deann's eyes widened. _"__Interruptions", as in...he'll never be able to turn back to normal?_

_**BANG! **_Crush had now given up on slamming his fists against the glass and was ramming full speed into it repeatedly. Slowly, the glass began to crack, which wasn't a good sign. He roared loudly, and, with one final ram into the glass, it shattered to pieces.

Everyone shielded themselves to avoid the glass flying everywhere. As Crush looked around in satisfaction, he gave Cortex a deadly glare and stormed towards him.

To everyone's surprise, Cortex didn't look the least bit intimidated. He simply held up his remote, pressing the button.

Instantly, Crush dropped to the ground, holding his neck as the collar around him electrocuted him. He roared in pain.

The creature's pain was Cortex's pleasure, as he only watched with a smug look. "Yes...get angry!" He grinned.

Crush thrashed around blindly and, in the process, clawed one of the chains that held Crash up on the wall. Crash hopped down and removed the remaining chains on him, slowly glancing up at the giant creature.

When the pain finally stopped, Crush shot his eyes open. He turned his attention to Crash and shot him an angry glare.

Crash began to back up, feeling a horrible sense of _déjà vu_. "Snap out of it, Crush! Cortex is only taking advantage of you!" he shouted, hoping that would somehow knock the creature to its senses, but it didn't.

Crush charged towards Crash, raising his claws in an attempt to strike him. Luckily, Crash dove to the ground at the last second, causing Crush to strike the wall and getting his claws stuck in it. He roared, finally jerking them out of the wall and lashing out at Crash.

Crash attempted to jump out of the way but got clawed on his leg. "AAH!" He fell to the ground, holding his leg in pain. Crush slowly approached him, towering above him.

"Finish him!" Cortex grinned wickedly. This was working out better than he thought.

Crash braced himself but, to his astonishment, Crush had paused in mid-step. He shook his head irritably, and Crash swore he could see his eyes flickering from green to normal.

Cortex was beginning to lose his patience. "I said FINISH him!" he yelled.

When Crush didn't move from his position, Cortex growled, pressing the button on his remote. Crush fell to the ground in

pain as he was electrocuted once more.

"NO!" Crash shouted, but the pain only made Crush angrier. Taking the chance of escaping, Crash scrambled away.

"Don't let him escape!" Cortex shouted. N. Gin pressed a button on the wall, making all the doors shut with a metal _clang! _Crash abruptly came to a halt, nearly running into the door.

"I didn't devise this plan for you to not cooperate with me, Crush..." Cortex hissed, walking over to Crush. "You will do as I say or, mark my words, I will destroy you just as I have created you!"

Crush gritted his teeth as the pain vanished, and charged towards Crash. Crash ran out of the way, causing him to ram into the door, leaving a huge dent.

"That's what I thought," Cortex grinned, admiring the creature's violence.

Deann couldn't bear to watch the commotion. She tried to escape the ropes that tied her up, but couldn't. She shut her eyes, just hoping this was all some horrible nightmare. She wondered where Dingodile was and if he was okay...


	23. A Missile-aneous Problem

**Yes, the title is a bad pun...I know XD**

* * *

><p>The cold wind smacked Dingodile in the face as he flew at top speed, but it didn't affect his flames at the slightest. He narrowed his eyes as he searched the streets for any signs of a certain bandicoot.<p>

"Crush!"

Dingodile knew that Crush wouldn't just jump out and greet him, but he had to do _something_. He couldn't help but feel as if he was to blame for Crush's disappearance despite Scarlett's actions. _I should've known better than to leave him alone... _he thought to himself. He couldn't blame Crush since his past was not something to be easily dealt with.

It was then that Dingodile suddenly noticed a familiar figure below him. He dove towards the ground, landed in front of it and turned back to normal.

"Nina! I—"

Nina turned to face him, but was accompanied by someone Dingodile didn't quite want to encounter again.

"Well. Look who FINALLY decided to reveal himself," spat Scarlett. Her arms were evident with rope burns and her green eyes gleamed with hatred.

Dingodile lost the courage to speak, taking a step back.

"You know, Dingodile, I underestimated you." Nina crossed her arms. "I never would've DREAMED that you'd take a risk like this."

Dingodile's expression hardened. "Where's Crush?" he growled.

"Oh, don't worry. Your friend is safe and sound, now that he's in the hands of his master."

Dingodile froze. How could Cortex have gotten to Crush? " But th-that's impossible! I literally just encountered Cortex—"

"Oh, I know." Nina glared at him. "I know more than you think."

As soon as Dingodile regained his movement, he shot his hand out in front of him, which lit a fireball.

Nina didn't look the least bit intimidated. "Your bandicoot friend merely turned himself in to my uncle to save Crash Bandicoot."

"You're lying." Dingodile cautiously held the fireball in front of him.

"Such a sad mistake he made..." Nina continued to approach him.

"I don't want to hurt you, Nina!" Dingodile's voice was serious.

Nina leaned up to him eerily. "You also didn't want anything bad to happen to your sister. But we all know what happened after that, don't we...?"

That was enough to bring a familiar spark in Dingodile's eyes. His body engulfed in flames as he hurled the fireball at her, but she dove out of the way.

"I wouldn't get violent if I were you."

As if right on cue, Nina ducked just as a giant missile flew over her head. Dingodile gasped, shooting up into the sky. The missile was obviously locked onto him, though, and followed him.

* * *

><p>After asking permission to go into the lab and check on the missile, that was exactly where N. Gin headed. He glanced around, making sure no was around him as he shut the door and locked it.<p>

Accessing one of the main computer screens, he found the location of the missile and where it was going. N. Gin pressed a button, allowing him to see whatever was in front of the missile. A small gasp escaped him when he saw Dingodile frantically flying away.

N. Gin quickly searched for anything that could stop the missile, but couldn't. He slammed his fist onto the table with frustration, hoping that Cortex wouldn't be successful in destroying Dingodile.

All N. Gin could do was watch the giant screen in despair as the missile chased Dingodile about.

"Come on, Dingodile..." he urged. "You're smart; don't let Cortex win this round."

* * *

><p>Dingodile tried all he could to trick the missile, but it continued to follow him no matter what. "How did Cortex manage to do this!?" he yelled at himself. "I can't shake this thing no matter how hard I try!"<p>

He looked down at himself, and suddenly, it hit him. The missile chasing him was obviously a _heat-seeking _missile.

"That explains a lot." Concentrating, Dingodile shut his eyes and shifted back to normal.

He forgot one little minor detail, though: He was still in the air.

"AGGHH!" Dingodile shrieked, plummeting towards the ground. "Fly! FLY!" He frantically flapped his arms and, in the process, they shifted to wings. "What the—!?" he screamed as he shot up right before he could land onto the concrete ground. The missile was obviously not as coordinated as he was and slammed onto the ground, exploding. The explosion almost knocked Dingodile out of the sky, but he managed to control himself and landed a safe distance away.

"HOLY...COW..." Dingodile slowly rose to his feet, breathless. He raised his arms up, and they shifted to normal. "How on earth did _that_ happen!?" Before he could find an answer, he could see a figure rising from the ashes of the explosion.

"How is this even _possible!?"_ a voice shouted in anger. Nina threw the remote down in frustration, her blue dress singed from the fire. She clenched her metal fists, shooting Dingodile a deadly glare. "You're lucky that my uncle is not the brightest bulb in the bunch but I, for one, am a LOT smarter than he is!"

Charging towards Dingodile, she attempted to punch him, but he grabbed her fist. His hand burst into flames and Nina yelped, struggling to get out of his grip.

"Don't...make me...**hurt** you." Dingodile was completely serious; he did not want to hurt Nina. Nina had been another one of his friends for as long as he could remember.

Nina gritted her teeth and attempted to punch him with her other fist, but Dingodile grabbed that as well. She yelled in pain, knowing that metal and fire did _not_ mix well together. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain, but it didn't cease. Dingodile noticed a tear fall down her eye. His expression softened, and so did the fire in his hands. He released her hands.

Nina dropped to the ground, holding her hands in pain. "I'm s-sorry..." she whimpered. "H-he's my uncle...I just couldn't fail him. I never meant to hurt you; it was him! He was the one who sent the missile..."

Dingodile couldn't help but feel a string of pity for the poor girl. "Don't blame yourself, Nina; it's not you fault! I'm sor—"

It was like lightning. He was punched straight in the face, dropping to the ground. Above him was Nina, glancing at him with satisfaction.

"So naïve..." She gave a sweet smile, and Dingodile watched her foot swing back before he blacked out.


	24. Unlikely Allies

It was just a dream.

Dingodile never obtained his fiery powers...never met Crush...never turned against Cortex...

At least that's what he _wanted_ to believe. More than anything, Dingodile wanted to believe this was all just some horrible nightmare, and he would soon wake up back in his bed as if nothing had happened.

Well, he certainly wasn't in his bed; that was for sure. In fact, he wasn't even lying down. He almost felt as if he was hanging. He could feel the cold metal clamped around his wrists.

_Should I even dare open my eyes?_

Hearing movement next to him, Dingodile's eyes shot open without even thinking. There was nothing but pitch black darkness flooding his vision.

"Dingodile...?" a voice whispered.

It was so quiet, Dingodile was wondering if he was going insane and hearing things.

"Dingodile?" the voice was louder this time, and it sounded shocked.

Dingodile's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and he could make out the figure hanging in chains next to him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Crash looked astonished.

"I could ask the same about you, but that'd seem pretty redundant," Dingodile spat. Crash narrowed his eyes at him, and Dingodile rolled his eyes. "Listen, I've been trying to help Crush just as much as you. I'm through with Cortex now, but he obviously wasn't too keen on the idea of us going our separate ways."

Crash raised an eyebrow. "So does this mean you aren't evil anymore?"

"Technically I was _mean;_ not evil. Don't mix up the two." Dingodile frowned. "Second, before you start jumping to conclusions, I'm not _'good', _either. I'm on my own side."

"Got it." Crash gave a slight smirk.

"Are you two through socializing?" A loud voice echoed throughout the room, startling them both. When silence was their only response, the voice replied, "Good."

Suddenly, the lights shot on, blinding Dingodile and Crash. "AH!" They shut their eyes.

"Why does he keep _doing_ that!?" Crash growled.

"Surely a little light is not the weakness of the great Crash Bandicoot now, is it?" Dingodile grumbled.

Crash glared at him. "You're really getting on my nerves; you know that?"

"Enough bickering!" the voice shouted, making them both flinch. "Now that I have you _both _right where I want you, it's time to finish you off!" Pretty soon, the lights came on in a window that was at the back of the room. Cortex was behind it, grinning evilly.

"I don't like the looks of this," Dingodile spoke in a low voice. "I know what this room is for."

"What? Where are we?" Crash examined the large empty room they were in.

"This is the room I was in when Cortex wanted to test my powers and skills..." Dingodile muttered.

"And that's bad because...?"

Dingodile looked at him. "Cortex wants to "test" Crush's power." Crash's face drooped. "...And by the looks of it, we're the test subjects."

Cortex laughed maniacally. "Looks like you've been paying attention after all."

A loud roar echoed throughout the room, and the banging on a door was heard. Dingodile's head instantly shot up, facing Crash. "How long has Crush been like this?" he asked in a stern tone.

"For...quite a while..." Crash seemed alarmed by his sudden change in behavior. "Like an hour, or so..."

His answer made Dingodile seem frantic more than ever, trying to get out of the chains.

"What's up?" Crash's tone sounded nervous.

Dingodile gave a bitter smile in return. "Let's just say we won't see our friend Crush anytime soon. Once you've hit the hour mark...it's not very pleasant. Trust me; I know from experience."

"..._Experience?"_

It took Dingodile a moment to realize that Crash had no idea about his alter-ego. "Cortex wanted to duplicate Crush's power, and he tested it on me. It's not _exactly_ like Crush's power because I can control it better than him, but still pretty much the same."

"Not _all in all_ the same," Cortex's voice butted in. Dingodile kept forgetting that he was even there in the first place. "Crush's is far more powerful, unlike that silly 'firebird form' of yours."

Dingodile eyes gleamed with hatred, but found himself unable to feel the familiar burning sensation throughout his whole body.

Noticing Dingodile's stunned expression, Cortex laughed. "Oh, your firebird friend won't be making an appearance as long as you're in those chains. Specially designed by yours truly." He gave a sinister grin.

"Cortex, when I get out of here, I'M GOING TO—"

"That's just the thing. You _won't_ be getting out of there." Cortex pressed a button on his remote, making Crash and Dingodile look beside themselves. There was a large metal door with several dents in it, which slowly began to open. The only thing they could make out were the two glowing neon green eyes piercing through the darkness before the creature charged out.

"DUCK!" shrieked Dingodile, dropping down his head.

"Where?" Crash frantically looked around, but then saw a flying fist towards him. "AGH!" He ducked, and barely managed to avoid the fist as it slammed into the wall right above his head.

"Nice." Dingodile mockingly held a thumbs-up.

Crash only growled at his sarcasm. "Well, since we're practically not enemies anymore, don't ya think it'd be nice if we actually tried to _help_ each other!?"

"Oh, sure. Come on; let's both just jump down and beat up Crush. We're CHAINED up here, you moron! What good can we do!?" Dingodile shouted.

Crash opened his mouth to retort, but shut it when he knew Dingodile had a point. "There's no need to be a _jerk_ about it..." he muttered.

Ducking from another one of the creature's punches, Dingodile lit up. "Maybe if Crush punches close enough to us, he can break our chains off!"

"He already did that to me before. But Cortex probably knows better now..."

Dingodile gave Crash a dark look. "You just _have_ to be a killjoy, don't you?"

"I guess we'll just have to improvise!" Crash ignored Dingodile's comment, swaying side-to-side on the chains.

"What are you _doing?"_ Dingodile looked dumbfounded at the odd bandicoot.

Crash continued to swing around, and he even kicked Crush in the face. Crush roared and attempted to punch him, but Crash ducked at the last second. Crush's fist collided into the chain, but it didn't affect it in the slightest. The creature held his fist in pain, gritting his teeth.

"Wow. Those are some strong chains..." mumbled Crash as he stopped swinging.

"Congratulations. You're now officially his _first _punching bag," clapped Dingodile unenthusiastically, knowing that Crush would mostly be angry at _Crash_, now.

"CAN YOU JUST _SHUT UP _ALREADY!?" Crash was fed up with his attitude. "At least I'M trying to come up with a plan!"

"You think _I_ don't want to get out of these chains, too!? If it wasn't for them hindering me from using my powers, I'd be outta here in no time flat!" argued Dingodile.

As they both continued bickering, nobody—not even Cortex—noticed a small figure as it made its way over to the commotion.

"...So there's no reason that we should be—"

"Dingodile..."

"—Arguing over something as stupid at this—"

"_Dingodile_..."

"—When we should actually be taking _action_ and—"

"DINGODILE!" Crash kicked him.

"WHAT!?" Dingodile screamed. Crash pointed in front of him. Dingodile's mouth came wide open.

"This isn't you, Crush! I know the _real_ you is in there somewhere!"

Crush was absolutely frozen. His ears flinched when he had heard the soft voice, and he turned to face who had said that. Instantly, a wave of recognition flowed through him.

It was Deann.


	25. Is This Really Me?

Cortex's mouth came wide open. "HOW DID DEANN ESCAPE!?" he screamed, frantically looking about. His search came to a sudden stop when he glared at a figure who was standing beside the lever that had unlocked the chains.

_N. Gin._

"N. Gin..." Cortex clenched his fists, wearing a look of absolute ferocity. "Back away from the lever," he spoke in a scary voice through his gritted teeth.

"No." N. Gin frowned, crossing his arms.

Cortex looked deranged, almost. "N. GIN...you will do what I say! Don't you DARE turn against me!"

"I'm _not_ going be pushed around anymore," N. Gin growled. "Dingodile is my friend too, and I intend to help him just as I did with his sister!"

"Why would you do this!? After all I had done for you—" Cortex growled.

"Like what!? You've always treated me like nothing but crap! _N. Gin do this...N. Gin do that..._you think I actually ENJOY being bossed around by some...some nonsensical lunatic who can't even destroy a single _rodent!?"_

Cortex's eyes widened at his words. He was absolutely baffled.

"I saved Deann's life because I _respected_ her; not because she was one of your minions!" N. Gin shouted. "Unlike you, I actually show _kindness_ to your creations, rather than ordering them around and punishing them when they don't obey me!"

Cortex took in all of these insults, clenching his fists tightly. With a shout, he attempted to punch N. Gin, but was shoved to the ground before he could do so.

"Oh yeah; you wanna know who _else_ N. Gin released?" a familiar voice asked sweetly, kicking him in the face and knocking him unconscious. Coco turned to face N. Gin, brushing herself off. "He was _really_ getting on my nerves."

* * *

><p>Deann looked brave, standing in front of the creature that was about 4 times her own size. She certainly didn't <em>feel<em> brave, though. She was surprised she hadn't passed out yet out of fear.

The creature made no sudden movements. He was as still as a statue, his green eyes fully fixated on the small dingo in front of him. Deann tried to calm her pounding heart, slowly taking a step forward. Crush watched her, slowly leaning down. Deann froze instantly as he examined her, almost as if he was trying to recognize her.

"**De**...**Deann**...?" His voice was low, with a hint of confusion.

Deann would've passed out at that very moment, but she could actually see the green starting to vanish from Crush's eyes. Crush slowly reached out towards her, stroking part of her hair. Deann smiled, thankful that he had remembered her.

The peacefulness didn't last too long, though. Deann watched as the collar around Crush's neck electrocuted him. Crush roared as the greenness in his eyes returned, holding his neck his pain.

"WHAT THE—?" N. Gin and Coco both whirled around, finding Cortex leaning against the wall with the remote.

Cortex tossed it aside, giving a weak grin. "You...won't win...this easily..." he spat weakly before he passed out.

N. Gin charged for the remote, grabbing it. He pressed the button in the middle, but nothing happened. "How do I stop it!?"

Coco snatched the remote from him, observing it. "It's broken," she hissed. "I can probably fix it, but it'll take a while..."

"Uh—we don't necessarily HAVE a while!" Crash shouted. He swung around on the chains to avoid the punches being thrown at him by the creature.

"Shoot—N. Gin, do you know how to unlock the chains holding Crash and Dingodile?" Coco quickly asked.

"I'm on it." N. Gin immediately searched the controls, finding a big red button. He pressed it, and the chains holding Crash and Dingodile were unlocked. Crash instantly dove out of the way to avoid a flying fist and Dingodile didn't hesitate to shift to his firebird form.

"If we can just get him unconscious, maybe there will be a chance Crush can return to normal!" Crash suggested, getting up and brushing himself off.

Dingodile did nothing but stare at the bandicoot. The _hero_ was suggesting _violence? _He shook it off, knowing that Crash had a point. "Good idea."

"Mind if I get a lift?" Crash asked.

"With pleasure." Dingodile grabbed him by his arms and lifted him up, throwing him at Crush. Crash spun around, hitting Crush in the head and knocking him to the ground.

The blow left the creature dazed for a moment, but the electric shock around his neck didn't cease. He charged towards Crash and Dingodile, who only glanced at each other and nodded their heads. Right before Crush reached them they split up, causing him to knock straight into the wall. The creature hissed in pain, clutching his head and wobbling around.

"Did it work?" Crash asked Dingodile.

The creature instantly shot his head towards them, baring his teeth and giving a deadly glare.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?" grumbled Dingodile.

Suddenly, a loud **SMACK!** made Coco and N. Gin flinch. They both turned to face the window, and Crash's whole body was smashed into it. "I'm okay!" he shouted, giving a weak smile as he slowly slid down the glass.

"A-any chance you can go faster?" N. Gin cringed as he watched the battle currently going on.

"Don't rush me! You have to be precise with these sorts of things!" Coco shouted in frustration.

Dingodile watched as Crash repeatedly tried to spin against Crush. Crush didn't acknowledge that Crash was even there, and he continued to throw punches at Dingodile.

Dingodile ducked out of the way and eyed Crash, who wobbled around. "Don't tell me you're actually getting _dizzy! _You spin all the time, don't you!?"

Crash only fell on his knees in response, feeling as if the whole room was spinning. His heart pounded against his chest, and he couldn't even think straight. The last thing he could feel was the back of his head hitting the hard floor before he passed out.

Dingodile scowled as his teammate fell to the floor with a _plop_, but was too distracted to even see Crush's hand shoot towards him, grabbing him by the neck. Dingodile gasped, clutching his neck and trying to escape his grip, but he couldn't move. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to breathe.

"Crush!" Dingodile's voice hoarsely shouted, but the creature didn't even flinch.

Deann, who had cowered in the corner the entire time during the battle, watched in horror as her brother tried to regain his breath, only with no success. The flames surrounding him slowly began to die out and he faded back to normal. Deann made a move before she could even stop herself.

"**STOP!"** She literally threw herself at the creature, clutching his leg. Crush glared down at her, his neon green eyes filled with rage.

"Deann...get out of here!" Dingodile rasped, although it hurt for him to speak.

Deann shook her head, tears flowing out of her eyes. Crush growled, trying to shake her off his leg, but she had no intention of releasing it.

"I'm not letting you go..." she sobbed. "I won't leave you."

Dingodile's eyes slowly began to flutter closed.

"Please let him go..." Deann pleaded. "Come back, Crush. I need you; please..." Her voice sounded desperate.

Dingodile's grip around his neck slowly began to loosen. Deann buried her face into Crush's leg.

"_I love you."_


	26. Renewed Strength

Crush couldn't escape the greenness that was flooding his vision. Rage raced through his mind, most of which he had no clue where it was coming from. He felt as if he was locked inside a cage with no hope of escaping. Crush was in so much pain, his only hope was if someone would just kill him. He was better off not living if he had to endure this pain for the rest of his life...

But suddenly, he heard a voice. It was so clear, so hopeless that he couldn't help but listen. The words echoed throughout his head, clearing his vision instantly.

_I love you_.

* * *

><p>Deann saw Crush blink. In just that one blink, his eyes no longer had any speck of green in them. Crush shook his head irritably, the spikes on his head and shoulders vanishing as he slowly began to shrink back down to his normal size.<p>

His gaze fell upon Deann, completely dazed. "Deann?" he spoke hoarsely.

"HEY!" a voice squeaked, making Crush flinch. "Remember me!? The guy you're STRANGLING!?"

Crush gasped when he had felt his grip around Dingodile's throat. He let go in an instant, and Dingodile dropped to the ground, clutching his throat and breathing heavily. He looked horribly pale.

Crush only gaped at him, startled at what he had almost done. "Dingodile—I—" He felt a lump in his throat and was unable to speak.

"I...get it..." sputtered Dingodile. His voice could barely manage as well. "Just...do me a favor...and never do that...again..."

Deann knelt down by his side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Dingodile nodded his head, but Deann raised an eyebrow at his somewhat crazed expression.

Crush stared at the ground in silence. It was obvious that he wanted to apologize, but he felt as if that wouldn't be enough. Thankfully, a certain bandicoot wobbled over to them and broke the silence.

"Did I miss anything?" Crash looked slightly dizzy, but it was obvious that he was bewildered by the situation. "Are you okay?" he asked Dingodile.

Dingodile only glared at him in rage. He stood up and wobbled around, storming over to Crash. "You've...been spinning _all your life! _How on EARTH... did you get _DIZZY!?" _Dingodile shouted between deep breaths.

"The pressure was just getting to me! I felt so overwhelmed, I couldn't even think straight!" Crash shouted innocently.

"It wasn't his fault, Dingodile. Calm down!" Deann frowned. _The poor guy seems deranged after what had happened to him..._

While she led him out of the room to check and see if he was _really_ alright, Crash turned to face Crush. "It's good to have you back." He gave a slight smile, patting him on the back.

Crush's eyes remained on the ground. "I wouldn't even be here, if it wasn't for Deann." His head slowly rose, and he watched Deann lead Dingodile out the door.

Crash looked at her and glanced back at Crush. "Ah, I see what's going on between you two..." He grinned, nudging him on the shoulder. Crush hid his blush, but it remained obvious to Crash. "I admit; she's pretty cute..." Crash shrugged, earning a laugh from Crush.

Suddenly, Coco ran into the room. Stopping next to the two bandicoots, she loudly cleared her throat, gaining their attention. "You're welcome." She smiled proudly. When all she received were blank looks, her smile vanished. "No 'thank you'? NOTHING!?" she shouted.

"For what?" Crash asked, completely confused.

"I deactivated the electrical shock in Crush's collar! You should be proud of me!" Coco yelled, deeply offended.

Crush's eyes widened as he felt the collar around his neck. He had completely forgotten about it. "Thank you," he told Coco.

Coco's smile returned. "Glad I could help. You sure you don't need any help in taking it off—?" She was cut off by a loud _**SCREECH! **_and saw that Crush had torn it right off his neck in an instant. "Never mind..."

"Listen, Coco...about before, I'm really sorry for being all harsh on you. Besides, it's a good thing that you did attempt to save Crash; otherwise I'd probably never get rid of this thing..." Crush tossed the collar aside.

"You don't need to apologize; I didn't mean to act harsh either. I understand that you were a bit...depressed." Coco couldn't quite find the exact word.

"I really appreciate your help," Crush smiled, which was probably the first time she had ever seen him do so.

Crash's eyes widened. "Whoa, you're not cheating on Deann, now, are you?"

"Crash!" Coco shouted, glaring at him. Crush narrowed his eyes at the innocent bandicoot.

"Just being cautious..." Crash raised his hands in surrender. Luckily, before he was beaten to a pulp, Deann entered the room.

"Dingodile's with N. Gin for the time being. He's just getting checked out; the poor guy's acting pretty...loony..." She shook her head, but it was clear that she was slightly amused.

"Are you sure he's alright?" Coco had a nervous look on her face.

"Probably just a bit delusional after a near-death experience..." Deann spoke softly. Crush avoided eye-contact with her, staring at the ground once again. He looked up when a hand placed itself on his shoulder.

Deann's soft blue eyes met with his brown. "It's not your fault, Crush. We all know that you had no control over yourself."

"How do you know?" Crush asked bitterly. He wasn't even sure, himself. Maybe part of him, deep down inside, was angry at Dingodile. After all, his alter-ego didn't exactly like Dingodile all too well ever since their first meeting...

Deann grabbed his arm so he would face her. "The Crush I know would _never_ harm anybody. He's sweet, caring, and was even kind enough to rescue me from that thug. Surely you didn't forget that, did you?"

How could he? Crush could just feel nothing but guilt. He brought a hand up to his head. "I'm sorry Deann; I'm just so sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this, when it's _your _brother that I've harmed..."

Deann looked at him with disbelief. "You have every right, Crush; he's your friend. But please, don't ever think that this was your fault. We all hate to see you so discouraged." She gave him a hug, which he returned.

"Thank you." Crush's voice spoke barely above a whisper.

They let go of each other, and Deann tilted her head in confusion. "For what?"

Crush only answered with a small smile as he leaned forward, kissing her. Deann was surprised, but returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around him.

"Aw..." Crash sniffed, hugging Coco. His sister only rolled her eyes in amusement, shoving him away.


	27. Hopeful Regression

"Dingodile will be okay. I guess the shock of the whole situation was just a bit..._too much_ for him..." N. Gin cringed, rocking back and forth on his feet.

"And his neck?" Deann asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"His neck will heal overtime, but for now it'd just be best if he rested."

"I can't even begin to thank you for what you've done," Crash told him. "This really means a lot to us."

"It's for my benefit as well." N. Gin nodded his head. "I've just been in the wrong place all these years."

"If you ever need a place to stay..." Coco began, giving a small smile.

"I appreciate it, but I already have my battleship. I'm sure staying there will be no problem at all." N. Gin returned a smile as well.

Crash held a thumbs-up, but mentally shuddered as he thought of awful memories being on that ship.

"What about Crush?" Deann's soft voice spoke up.

Everyone turned to glance at the bandicoot, who looked rather interested in the floor. Everyone had almost forgotten he was even there due to his complete silence.

"It's his choice where he wants to stay," Crash said. "Whether it's with Coco and I; you and Dingodile...or if he wants to be on his own." By the tone of his voice, though, he highly doubted that Crush would want to be on his own after all that had happened to him.

Crush remained silent for a moment, but before he could even open his mouth to speak—

"Stop right there," a stern voice commanded.

Everyone came to a sudden halt at the familiar voice and slowly turned their heads. Standing in front of them was none other than Nina Cortex. Her clothes were singed, along with her hair. Her hands also didn't seem to be in pretty good shape, as they were scratched up and rusted.

Nina held up one of her laser guns, specifically pointing it at Crush. "My uncle may have failed, but I won't hesitate to finish the job _for_ him!" she hissed, threatening to pull the trigger.

"NO!" Deann ran out in front of Crush so he wouldn't get hurt.

Before Nina could even do anything else, a fist collided into her face, knocking her out cold. Everyone gaped at Nina in shock, shooting curious glances at the mysterious hero who had punched her. Her shabby brown hair was a complete mess, her clothes were tattered at some places and covered in mud, and her arms were evident with burns and scars.

Scarlett ignored the blank looks and deadly glares she had received, lowering her fist. She looked Crush in the eye, deciding to cut to the chase. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just want to let you know that I did NOT intend for things to go so far."

Nobody said a word, for it was evident in Crush's cold stare that he was trying not to lose his temper.

Scarlett didn't even wait for him to respond. "You don't have to think of me as a 'friend', but don't think of me as an enemy, either. Nina only tricked me into thinking there was a reward so that I would turn you in," she said bluntly.

Still no response. All eyes were on Crush, but his expression was unreadable.

Scarlett sighed. "Listen; we've all had a pretty..._horrendous_ day. And not just you guys, but myself as well. I've been tied up, beaten, nearly burned to death..." She shook her head when she caught herself monologing. "I guess what I'm really trying to say is I'm _sorry_. There. I just _apologized,_ and that's rare. Trust me." She turned around to walk away, not expecting any reply whatsoever.

"I forgive you."

Scarlett stopped, glancing at Crush with disbelief.

"I know how it feels to be in a pressured situation; when you have no other choice but to do something as a last resort." Crush was never one to hold a grudge, and it simply wasn't him to do so. "Consider us..._acquaintances_." He gave a half-smile.

Scarlett looked astounded. The last thing she expected was _forgiveness, _especially from the one who had been put in this situation all because of her. "Thanks." She smiled—not in a flirtatious way, but a normal smile—as she left the room.

"She's _hot_," a voice broke the silence once she was gone. Coco whacked her brother in the head, rolling her eyes. "What!?" Crash yelled innocently, rubbing his head.

"No comment..." Even Crush shook his head in absolute pity. Something suddenly hit him, though, and that was the fact that Deann had gotten in front of him before Nina could pull the trigger on her laser gun. "Did you just—?" He turned to Deann, completely and utterly dumbfounded.

Deann blushed. "Hey, I had to do _something_..." Although it was no joking matter, Crush couldn't help but blush as well.

"Jealous?" Coco smirked at her brother when she caught him sticking his tongue out.

Crash raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Hey, _you_ were the one flirting with Crush earlier."

"I WAS NEVER FLIRTING WITH HIM!" Coco screamed. "And I'm NOT into guys yet! End of story!"

"Says the one who repeatedly asked if Dingodile was going to be okay..." At this point, Crash was only messing with her. Coco obviously didn't take his joke lightly and tackled him on the spot.

Deann smirked at the two siblings' brawl. She turned back to Crush and said, "Surely you don't want to deal with _that_ all the time, do you?"

"You get used to it..." Crush chuckled. "Although, that's not the reason why I prefer staying with you."

"What is it, then? Do they—" Deann cut herself off, realizing what he meant. She stared at Crush. "You want to stay with _me?"_

"Of course I do." Crush smiled. "Not that I have anything against Crash or Coco, but with you, I feel as if I'm home."

"That's fine with me; things are already a handful here with Crash!" Coco joked. Crush and Deann looked over at her and saw that she was sitting on her brother.

"Get off me!" Crash's arms flailed about. "You're too heavy!" That earned a hard kick from his sister. "OW!"

"Well...I think it'd be best if we all got out of here. This place gives me the creeps..." Deann finally stated.

* * *

><p>After everyone had finally got the heck out of that place, they all decided to go home.<p>

"Well, Crush...it's been fun, but time to go our separate ways..." Crash patted Crush on the back, sniffing.

"Crash, he won't be gone _forever_, you know. We'll visit each other from time to time...right, Crush?" Coco smiled.

Crush nodded his head. "Of course. See you around, guys." He gave the two bandicoots a hug, and they all went their separate ways.

"When will Dingodile be back?" Crush turned to face Deann.

"N. Gin said that it'd be best if he stayed with him overnight to make sure he's back to normal. He'll be back tomorrow or the day afterward, at least," Deann replied.

Crush was about to apologize, but he felt as if he had already done so countless times. He couldn't help but feel doubt constantly nagging at him as if nobody honestly forgave him. Doing what he did best, he kept silent the entire walk to Deann's house.

"Well...it'd be best to get some rest. You need it, after all that had..._happened_..." Deann trailed off as to not offend Crush in any way.

Crush didn't feel offended; in fact, he didn't even really pay attention to what Deann had said. He just stared hollowly at the ground, and his mind seemed to be in a whole other world.

_What if they only forgave me to be nice? What if they're still afraid of me, and they only did that to not upset me? _Crush was used to being feared, but he didn't want that to occur with the only people that were considered his family.

"Crush?"

Crush instantly looked up and was face to face with Deann.

"Are you okay?" she asked in concern.

Crush immediately mistook her tone as fear. "Of course I am; why _wouldn't_ I be?" he asked in a harsh tone.

Deann looked taken aback. "I—I'm sorry; I just..."

Crush instantly knew that he had taken it the wrong way. He held his hand up, shaking his head irritably. "No; _I'm_ sorry. I just—I just need to get some rest." He turned around and walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter is the last :D<strong>


	28. Starting Over

Dingodile wasn't surprised when he got home and nobody was there to greet him. Deann had fallen asleep on the couch and, not surprisingly, Crush was nowhere in sight.

Dingodile didn't fully remember what had happened after Crush regained his senses. All he could remember was yelling at Crash and Deann leading him away, but the look on Crush's face...

Dingodile held a hand up to his head. _I never even forgave Crush; I just went on blaming Crash for what had happened._

Making a mental note to apologize to Crash later, Dingodile decided to talk to Crush. _The poor guy probably feels terrible for what he had done, and I was too loopy to actually go and forgive him. _Dingodile rubbed his neck. It was mostly healed thanks to N. Gin, but it was still pretty bruised.

Dingodile stopped once he had reached Crush's room. He held up his fist to knock on the door, but slowly brought it down. He honestly didn't have the courage to face Crush just yet; not after his earlier behavior.

"Maybe I can ask Deann to talk to him for me..." he muttered to himself, but shook his head. "Stop being such a coward! He's probably expecting you to come, anyway..." In order to prove himself, he yanked the door open and confidently walked inside. "Crush, I'm—"

The first thing that caught Dingodile's attention was that nobody was there. Dead silence filled the air, eerily proving that fact.

"Crush?" Dingodile's eyes darted around the room in a panic. "Crush! Are you here!?"

What was he expecting? Was he expecting Crush to jump out of the closet and yell "surprise"? No; he knew Crush way better than that.

Crush had run away.

_Again._

"No." Dingodile bolted out of the room, skidding to a halt when he reached Deann. She was still asleep, but slightly stirred once she had heard Dingodile enter the room.

"Where is Crush?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

"Outside. Said he was going to take a walk by the lake." Deann slurred on her words on account of being half-asleep.

_What?_ "The lake?" repeated Dingodile in disbelief. Remembering the look he had seen on Crush's face earlier, the pieces began to fall into place. "You let him go the _lake!?"_ His voice rose to shout.

Deann simply sat up and blinked at him.

"Jeez, Deann! With a past like his and his constant depression, you're just letting him go OUT like that!? What is WRONG with you!?" Dingodile couldn't believe it.

Deann was wide awake now, guilt becoming obvious in her face. "I—I didn't know—"

Dingodile didn't let her finish and was already charging out the door. Shifting to his firebird form, his eyes immediately scanned the area for any sight of Crush.

"CRUSH!" He flew into the woods, shoving away every tree branch that got in his way. His mind was consumed with anger at Deann and fear for Crush. _How could Deann just let him GO!? I thought she CARED about his well-being!_

Dingodile was so struck with panic he couldn't focus, and slammed into a nearby tree. Shaking off the pain, he continued to dash through the woods until he finally reached the end. He approached a large lake, where he saw a familiar bandicoot sitting at the side of it.

Crush looked so calm that Dingodile was beginning to feel embarrassed for his mad dash through the woods. Seeing how close Crush was to the edge of the lake seemed to bring the panic back, though.

"Glad to see that you're okay," Crush's quiet voice knocked Dingodile back to his senses.

Dingodile shifted back to normal and stiffly nodded his head, sitting down next to him. He tried to keep his cool, but once he took one look at Crush, whose eyes were fully fixated on the water in front of him, Dingodile felt his heart leap into his throat.

"I can see why Deann lives here." Crush took his eyes off the lake and put them on the scenery around them. "This place is very beautiful."

"Yeah...s-sure..." Dingodile felt like an idiot because of his stammering, but he couldn't help it. "Listen, about y-yesterday, I was just a little crazy at that moment; I didn't mean to act so harsh..."

"It's fine." Crush tucked his knees against his chest. "It's my fault, really."

Dingodile opened his mouth to retort, but he knew that there was no way to convince Crush otherwise. After a few minutes of complete silence, the nagging question at the back of Dingodile's mind came out before he could stop it. "Y-you're not planning on doing something regrettable, are you?"

Crush's eyes transitioned from the scenery back to the lake. There was a bit of hesitation in his voice, but he indistinctly replied, "I was."

Dingodile was silent, yet concerned. _How could Crush think like that? _"You're not going to; right?" There was hint of demand in his voice, but he didn't care. At this point, the only thing on Dingodile's mind was making sure that Crush wouldn't do anything stupid.

Crush's silence only made Dingodile more anxious, but at least his eyes had finally darted off the lake. Crush's brown eyes met with Dingodile's green, a spark of reassurance in them. "No."

It took a moment for the relief to finally register. "Gosh—" Dingodile just shook his head in absolute condolence. "Don't _scare_ me like that..."

Crush's deadpanned expression didn't change. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be; I should trust you more than that." Dingodile took his hand off his head.

"No; I mean about before," muttered Crush.

Dingodile's relief drooped. He avoided Crush's glance, but could already see that Crush was looking at his neck.

"You and Deann have treated me with such kindness, and my attitude was horrible. After recovering, I was so guilty I couldn't even look you or Deann in the eye; not after how you've both seen me..." Crush glanced at Dingodile, hoping he would say something, but he hadn't even moved. "Are you listening to me?" Crush felt offended.

"It's fine." Dingodile shrugged.

"Fine?" Crush repeated. "Dingodile—I almost _killed_ you!"

Dingodile held up a finger. "_Almost_."

Crush was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even find the words to say. "How—tell me the _truth_, Dingodile; you're not even a _little_ upset that I could've killed you right then and there—?"

"Crush!" Dingodile interrupted, although his tone was not upset. "I _understand_. I get it."

"How?" Crush wore a look of disbelief. "How can you understand?"

"I've been in your position. I've had nightmares, regrets; I've felt depression I don't even know _how_ many times..." Dingodile sighed. "Thanks to Cortex, I'm practically _you_. The rough draft for the final copy. Whatever you've felt, I've felt as well."

Crush had completely forgotten about that. His mind trailed back to the time where they discussed the nightmares they had. That moment was where he had finally decided to trust Dingodile. It was because he knew that they had more in common than he thought.

"Living this way; it's hard. The paranoia of having these eyes in the back of your mind just constantly watching you..." Dingodile shuddered. "You have the feeling that you're not alone...but then you realize that you're _never_ alone."

It was as if someone had read Crush's complete thoughts. He snapped his head toward Dingodile and at that moment, it hit him. Dingodile really _did_ understand him; he had to deal with his firebird form every day. Crush felt like a complete idiot for not realizing it before.

Dingodile faced the bandicoot. "You're not alone."

"I—I know." Crush finally found his voice.

"So," Dingodile sighed for what seemed like the millionth time. "Where are you heading now?"

"What?" Crush raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"That must be why you're here; isn't it? Why you slipped out of the house while Deann was sleeping?" Dingodile looked at him. "Why you're apologizing?

"What?" Crush repeated, blinking. "I—Dingodile—I'm not going anywhere."

Dingodile's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"There's no point in me running anymore." Crush shrugged. "I don't have to worry about Cortex or his minions being on my trail." He twiddled with his fingers, adding, "Besides...I can't just leave you guys. Not after all that you've done for me."

"...And I'm sure Deann would kill you if you left, anyway," said Dingodile, giving a slight smirk.

Crush blushed with slight embarrassment. It was obvious that Dingodile understood what was going on between them, even if no one had told him.

"So you're staying?" Dingodile's voice shifted into a more serious tone, still pretty uncertain on what Crush's thoughts were.

"You're stuck with me." Crush smiled. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>As the two friends headed back to Deann's place, Crush knew exactly where he belonged. He wanted to stay with those whom he knew cared about him and would even risk their life for him. Those who could make him laugh, even when he felt miserable. Those who made him feel that life was certainly worth living.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the end of this story! I hope you enjoyed it :D<strong>


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